Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says Cross River is crucial to the industrialisation of Nigeria.
He said this on Tuesday at a town hall meeting with party stakeholders on national transformation and industrialisation, held at the cultural centre in Calabar, the Cross River capital.
The former governor of Lagos said if elected president, the state will play a leading role in the economic uplift of the nation.
“Our industrial policy will prioritise strategic industries vital to the development of our national economy. We will grow the nation’s industrial base to provide decent jobs and improve wages to our nation’s ever-increasing urban population,” he said.
“Our industrial plan encourages manufacturing on a massive scale across the country. Nigeria will become known as a nation that produces high-quality goods worthy of export anywhere in the world.
“We shall use an array of policy measures. On the fiscal side, we shall employ tax credits and holidays, youth employment incentives, import relief, export credits and well-tailored subsidies where necessary.
“Cross River state will play a leading role in our economic uplift. This state is blessed with limestone, clay, salt, tin, granite, basalt, quartzite, and kaolin deposits in commercial quantities.
“Our policies will afford local artisans and craftsmen throughout the region the necessary tools to provide for their families and, ultimately, boost overall economic activity for the national good. I enjoyed the stimulating cultural entertainment the performers displayed.
“This is a town hall meeting of great minds, brains and visions. My concern is the development of Nigeria. This is a talented nation and moving this country forward is a task that must be done. Let’s put together and conquer hunger by using God’s great space for agriculture.
“Cross River is blessed in agriculture: oil palm, rubber, cocoa, cashews, cassava, yam, rice, plantain, and bananas are abundant and already being processed, strengthening the agro-allied value chain in ways that create better jobs and raise the standard of living.”
Tinubu also said his administration will be deliberate about promoting opportunities for Nigerians to excel.
“We can build in the middle of difficulty. The US was fighting the civil war and still building rail tracks. We should focus on the things that we can accomplish. We have a lot – there is the waterfront here; we have minerals here; we have arable land; we must conquer hunger; we cannot allow hunger conquer us,” he said.
“My campaign is built on the firm conviction that our greatest good and best deeds still lie in front of us and not in our past. The industrialisation of our economy represents a vital step towards achieving the Nigeria of our dreams.”
See photos below.
