Delta State-born environmentalist and development advocate, Comrade Mulade Sheriff, has called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to adopt a pragmatic strategy for the industrialisation of Delta State by focusing on the development of agriculture and aquaculture.
In a statement issued over the weekend, Comrade Mulade emphasised that leaders across the globe are increasingly harnessing their nations’ resources to spur infrastructural development, create jobs, and foster economic growth.
He stressed the urgency for Delta State to follow suit, noting its abundance of human capital and natural resources.
“Delta State is greatly endowed with arable land and marine resources that can turn the State into a food basket for local consumption and create revenues via exports, while also achieving the aim of diversifying from an oil-dependent economy in the long run,” Mulade stated.
The Ibe-Serimowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area further explained that agro-based industrialisation would significantly reduce unemployment, tackle food scarcity, and boost food sufficiency and affordability across the State.
“By engaging our youths and women, we will reduce the rate of unemployment and food scarcity, while addressing the poverty index of the State,” he asserted.
Mulade also noted that industrialising the State through agriculture and aquaculture would prevent the wastage of idle human resources and transform them into productive assets contributing to Delta’s growth and development.
He continued, “Agro-based industrialisation will help to reduce insecurity, criminal tendencies, and immorality in our society. An idle mind, as the saying goes, is the devil’s workshop.
“Meaningful engagement of our youths and women will improve peace, reduce anti-social behaviours such as armed robbery and prostitution, and attract more investors to Delta State,” he explained.
Highlighting the untapped opportunities in the riverine areas, Mulade remarked: “Apart from crude oil, there are many resources in the riverine communities, particularly in the aquacultural sector. Harnessing these potentials will transform the coastal areas into major seafood exporting zones and create new revenue streams.”
He warned that failing to engage the younger generation adequately would have severe societal consequences.
“Neglecting to invest in the future of our youths would lead to societal devastation that would be difficult to recover from,” he cautioned.
Mulade, therefore, appealed to Governor Oborevwori to prioritise the industrialisation of Delta State through agriculture and aquaculture, insisting that these sectors should be developed devoid of political considerations.
“This poor area should be strategically looked into, devoid of politics, for the interest of the future of our dear Delta State,” he concluded.
