President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, said there was no better time to diversify the economy than now.
Buhari was speaking at the 56th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) in Dutse, Jigawa State.
The nation’s number one citizen re-echoed that his administration was determined to ensure the long-overdue fundamental restructuring of the nation’s economy.
Buhari said that it was shame to know that every year Nigeria spent more than $3 billion on importation of steel, despite the huge iron ore deposits in the country.
“With the current challenge, for the country to survive, we must harness our natural resources, particularly in agriculture and solid minerals sectors, with about 44 mineral resources available in commercial quantities across the country”
The President lamented the need to reform and diversify the economy, stressing that the nation had over-depended on oil and gas for too long.
Buhari was represented at the occasion by the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah