Develop natural resources sector, RMAFC urges States, LGAs

The Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has urged States and Local Governments to pay more attention to the development of natural resources to boost their revenue base and reduce overdependence on the oil sector of the Nigerian economy.
Chairman of the commission, Elias Mbam who made this call yesterday when he received a high-powered delegation from Kaduna State Government led by the Governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero observed that for the state and local governments to move forward, they have to harness their abundant natural resources.

He added that the commission would do everything within its powers to help all the states in the federation to explore all avenues that would make them increase their revenue base and reduce overdependence on oil.
Mbam   also said that if all the natural resources like Mines, Agriculture and tourism could be developed, it would give room for establishment of  manufacturing companies where the issue of unemployment would be settled and federal government would be able to concentrate on social amenities and every other things needed by the citizens.

In his presentation earlier, the Governor who was represented by Madami Garba Madami, the State Commissioner for Economic Planning, explained that the State with a population of 6,066,562 people according to 2006 Census and an annual growth rate of 3.2% is the third most populous in the country after Kano and Lagos states respectively.
According to Yero, the state famous for industrial establishments like textiles, automobile, brewery, petroleum refinery, fertilizer blending and furniture is also blessed with human and natural resources just as it also hosts many state and federal higher educational institutions, Research Institutes and out- stations that provide capacity building for farmers, generate relevant agricultural innovations or technologies and transfer such to end-users.