Growing our Economy,
Developing our people

His excellency Pastor Umo Bassey Eno

For us to grow as a people, we must first of all believe in ourselves and our capacity to play alongside others in the premier league. Self-confidence and diligence, as encapsulated in the Dakada philosophy, are primary requirements for self­ actualization and these cannot be realised if we rely on external factors for sustenance. There are some areas we necessarily must return to and stabilize while aiming at the big deals. We need to strengthen our micro­ economic base; tackle youth unemployment, focus on primary health issues and sanitation, take a second look at our education system, arrest rural-urban drift, improve connectivity of our rural roads and ensure peace and stability in our communities.

Micro-Economic Base

Deliberate focus should be on taking back the economy of the state from economic buccaneers, and preventing capital flight in the process. In trying to do so we should focus on:

  • Those primary things that will grow the economy of the state and support value chain activities. To identify the low hanging fruits and reap them for the benefit of the people and the economy;
  • Support small and medium scale enterprises with available facilities – financial and otherwise
  • Encourage and support up-takers for local bulk producers – farm products, seafood; as well as provide infrastructure for accessibility, harvesting, processing and storage.

Youth Unemployment

Emphasis should be on vocational training for self-sufficiency in areas like industrial welding and fabrication, masonry, carpentry, electrical works, plumbing, arts, music, movie-making, industrial shoe-making, hairdressing, cloth making, and other skills’ areas.

There is a thriving construction industry in the state, so the locals must take primary advantage of the development. It has been observed that either because of the orientation of the people or lack of requisite skills, developers prefer bringing in artisans from outside to work on projects in the state. We have lived through the years when others take advantage of industrial and commercial opportunities in our state while our people remain hewers of wood and drawers of water. There must be a deliberate effort to reverse that trend and prepare our youths to take advantage of the emerging opportunities in the aviation industry, oil and gas free zone, the lbaka Seaport as well as the fertilizer project, among others.

For us to grow as a people, we must first of all believe in ourselves and our capacity to play alongside others in the premier league. Self-confidence and diligence, as encapsulated in the Dakada philosophy, are primary requirements for self­ actualization and these cannot be realised if we rely on external factors for sustenance. There are some areas we necessarily must return to and stabilize while aiming at the big deals. We need to strengthen our micro­ economic base; tackle youth unemployment, focus on primary health issues and sanitation, take a second look at our education system, arrest rural-urban drift, improve connectivity of our rural roads and ensure peace and stability in our communities.