Akeredolu renews call for Nigeria’s restructuring, says ‘move will unlock nation’s full potential’

The Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), on Wednesday renewed his call for the restructuring of Nigeria, saying the move would unlock the nation’s full potential.

Akeredolu made the call at the 39th Annual National Scientific Conference of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria held in Abuja.

He said: “There is no doubt that the country experiences serious socio-economic challenges in virtually every part. While a sizeable chunk of these problems is attributable to the global crises, there are others which call our attention, urgently, to an appraisal of the fundamental issues which define nations.”

The governor also decried Nigeria’s over-dependence on oil and urged government at all levels to explore the diversification of the nation’s economy.

Akeredolu added: “It is unprofitable to resort to a facile description of the current upheavals in Nigeria without looking at the factors which militate seriously against our quest for nationhood. We must analyse these issues with a view to determining the workability of the current structure. We must seek solutions to the endemic problems bedeviling the country.

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“The over-dependence on oil revenue is retrogressive. Modern economies don’t thrive on monoliths. The country must pay more than passing attention to the issue of diversification.”

He challenged the country’s federating units to discern the economic activities that are peculiar to their environments and exploit such to their advantages.

“In addition, the federating units should, progressively, assume distinctive identities discernible in the economic activities’ peculiar to them and for which they are best suited to undertake.

“The current structure promotes indolence and kills ingenuity. Every part of the country must be encouraged to develop according to its potential. There must be deliberate devolution of responsibilities to the states,” Akeredolu concluded.

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