• As 11 die following increasing rains on cities

Prof. Sylvain Boko, Head, Development of Planning and Statistics Cluster, Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) says the commission will continue to support Nigeria to implement policies that will engender economic development .

Boko, who is also the Principal Regional Advisor of ECA, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

“One of the focus areas that Nigeria has been looking at is the diversification of the economy away from the reliance on the oil sector.

“The recent massive drop in oil prices in the international market has affected the availability of resources in Nigeria. in terms of budget and that has even led to slight recession.

“So what Nigeria is looking at is a long time planning that will diminish and reduce the dependence on oil and put more focus on other productive sectors.

“As a UN institution, we are accompanying Nigeria in that type of thinking and hopefully in the implementation of this new plan that has just been adopted,’’ he said.

Boko said that the agricultural sector was one productive sector that was mostly ignored and could contribute greatly to a country’s GDP.

He noted that most African countries did not add value to the agricultural products before exporting them to other countries.

“In many countries in Africa that is what we do, we are selling primary products without processing them.

“Whereas, other people come and buy off these products go and process them, and sell the finished products back to us.

“While they are processing these products, they are also creating wealth and creating jobs for their people.

“Whereas, if we put in place the necessary policies and processes that would create value for the products we are making, it will help us a great deal.

He explained that Nigeria was in process of raising the stature of agriculture that would actually form the basis for industrialisation.

Boko urged the government to ensure proper industrialisation policy for the country that would be the pillar for sustained growth and help create employment for the people.

In the meantime, floods hit many Nigerian cities after long hours of rainfall at the weekend. There were deaths. Homes were flooded.

Eleven people died in Suleja and other towns in Niger State. Many parts of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were flooded.

Residents of highbrow Victoria Island, Lekki and Ajah in Lagos were yesterday waiting for the floods to recede. They were warned to vacate the flood-prone area because of the expected intense rains.

Many parts of Lagos Island have been thrown into darkness because the floods soaked power facilities.

Niger State was worst hit by the floods after five hours of rainfall. Nine people died in Checheniya and one in Kuala, Suleja. Another person died in Ayin-Nassarrawa in Tara Local Government Area of Niger State.

Houses were submerged. Properties worth several millions of naira were destroyed in Kaltuma and Angwan Hearing in Suleja.

Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) Director-General Ibrahim Ahmed said two bodies were found, adding that search and rescue operation officials were at the site to recover the remaining bodies.

He said the identities of the victims were yet to be ascertained, but confirmed that 11 people had been declared dead between  Saturday night and yesterday.

Ahmed said: “As I am talking to you now, the search and rescue operation is going on and so far, two bodies have been recovered. Initially, we thought eight people were lost in Suleja but we received a report from the team that the number had increased to ten. We have one in Tara.”

But the worst-hit areas include Kaduna Road through Bakin-Iku, Chanchania and Yaro College, Kantoma, Kuspa, Angwa Gwari, and Angwa Juma.

Some buildings collapsed during the downpour, resulting in the death of some of the residents. Many were injured.

Some residents, who tried to leave their submerged homes for safety, were swept away by the floods.

Cars parked on the water ways were moved from their original positions.

Additional report from Nation