Date: 2014-11-27

Economic analysts, the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and trade unions in Kwara State have tasked the state government to prioritise infrastructural development in rural areas, provide loan facilities for manufacturers and small scale enterprises as well as strengthen better welfare packages for workers in the state.

All these, they say if are focused on in the 2015 budget will boost and sustain the state's economy in view of the dwindling allocation.

An Associate Professor of Economics with the University of Ilorin, Dr. Gafar Ijaiya, while speaking to National Pilot in his office on Tuesday, stressed the need for the government to focus on providing infrastructural facilities, especially provision of access roads, potable water and stable electricity, in its next year’s budget and warned against politicising projects.

The economic analyst noted that provision of facilities; construction of road networks across the state would boost workers and farmers' productivity and greatly impact on the socio-economic development of the state.

Ijaiya , however, advised  the state government to revisit and update the Kwara State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy, KWASEEDS document of December 2004 for proper planning and focus in its 2015 Budget, adding that the document should be the basis for development in Kwara State.

According to him, the document, which was introduced by former Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, contains all challenges facing the state, strategies needed for setting agendas for the state's budget, proper implementation and financing of projects. 

He, then, advised the government to stop deviating from its budget in order to properly execute planned projects and move the state forward. 

On his part, an Economic and financial analyst from the University of Ilorin, Mr. Mohammed Aminu Yaru, said government should carry rural dwellers, who he described as the disadvantaged members of the society, along in its activities, by making adequate provision for them in the 2015 budget to ensure their participation in the state's economy.

Yaru, who is also a lecturer in the Department of Economics of the university, advocated inclusive development, saying  the 2015 budget should focus on rural development as bulk of rural dwellers produce the largest percentage of the state's agricultural output that constitute part of the economy.

"The state government should provide modern road networks, stable electricity supply in the rural areas and most importantly, invest in the rural people, farmers in particular, by providing both formal and informal trainings on how to boost agriculture. All these will boost their productive capacity and that of the state, which will in turn, help improve our Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, and strengthen our economy", he explained.

Also, the  acting Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Kwara State chapter, Mr Ajiboye Daniel, called on the state government to implement in its next budget the Federal Government' policy on prioritisation of agriculture, pointing out that once you have your meal, other things are subsidiaries.

The AFAN boss, who said that most farmers are no longer illiterate, noted that they (farmers) should be part of the budget planning, processing and execution in order to boost the state's economy through agriculture.

He said, "The government have to assist us more in kind than cash. They have to provide us with modern implements to work with, and most importantly storage facilities for our produce. We can no longer go to farms with local implements. We can run around to get loans, but modern implements are not easy to come by. "

Similarly, the Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, Kwara and Kogi States Branch, Princess Omolola Olobaya, called on the state government to ensure manufacturers in Kwara have access to government intervention loan in its 2015 budget towards supporting the state's various industries and guide against their degradation as they are the largest employer of workers.

Olobayo also enjoined the state government to meet all requirements of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s industrial intervention loan for the state’s manufacturers to have access to the fund through it.

She also solicited infrastructural development in the areas of constructing access roads and adequate provision of electricity to ease manufacturing and transportation of goods.

On the part of the NLC, its state’s Chairman, Comrade Akanbi Umar Farooq, who commended the state government for improving the standard of workers in the state, implored it to strengthen welfare packages for its workforce in the 2015 budget.

Farooq, who also lauded the state for its developmental efforts in the areas of health, housing, education and infrastructural developments, stressed the need for adequate power supply to boost activities of skilled workers, who he noted, supports the state’s economy.