Makinde: We Must Repair Our Economy to Free People from Poverty

•Oyo international trade fair returns after 15yrs

Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, yesterday, declared that despite the challenges and hardship facing the country, all hands must be on deck to repair the economy rather than trade blame.

The governor maintained that one of the ways to achieve such repairs was for the country to shift its focus to export orientation instead of import substitution.

He noted that developing export market rather than focusing on producing for local consumption would help in improving the economy and the currency of the country.

Makinde stated this at the opening of the Oyo State International Trade Fair known as “EXPOYO 2024,” which returned after a 15-year hiatus, noting that his government remained open to bringing prosperity to the state.

While declaring open the event with the theme, “Showcasing the Economic Potentials of Oyo State Through Agriculture, Micro Small and Medium Enterprises,” at the Permanent Trade Fair Complex, Sango, Ibadan, the governor

noted that though people argued that allocations from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) haddoubled, states only had 26 per cent of the allocations and that all stakeholders must work together to bring Nigerians out of the current hardship.

Makinde said with the return of EXPOYO, the fair wouldnow be an annual event, pointing out that despite insinuations that second term governors were often laidback in terms of performance, his government resuscitated the event and has been breaking new grounds in expanding the state’s economy.

“It is my pleasure to be here to declare open the International Trade Fair EXPOYO 2024, and I want to assure this gathering that it will be an annual event.

“We all know that people say second-term governors don’t work but this did not happen in my first tenure but it has happened in the ongoing second tenure.

“This is a very tough period for us as a country. Economically, things are not going the way we want but this is not the time to give up. It is the time to look at opportunities, because opportunities are always lurking in the corner when there are challenges.

“For us in Oyo State, we are not giving up. I can see notable industrialists here. It is about time we changed our orientation. People will talk about what we produce in Nigeria and showcase the economic potential of Oyo State.”