A Professor of Business Management, Damian Mbaegbu, has advocated for economic diversification as a drive towards the nation’s prosperity.
Mbaegbu who is a Lecturer at Igbinedion University Okada (IUO) in Edo state said Nigeria had been rich and endowed with everything that make life comfortable, noting that the nation ought not to have business with poverty if properly managed.
He added: “if Nigeria is restructured politically, socially re-engineered and the economy is diversified and sustainable, every Nigerian will be comfortable, mass poverty will not only be alleviated, but eradicated.”
The Don who disclosed this while delivering the 26th inaugural lecture of the university also discribed Nigeria’s economic downturn as self inflicted injury which according to him, has affected more than 80 percent of the populace.
Continuing, Professor Mbaegbu cautioned against exploitation of the masses by the ruling class in order to avoid agitation.
He noted that mass poverty breeds insecurity of life and property, criminality, uncivilized behaviour, reduce foreign investment among others.
The Don advocated for deepened agricultural drive, manufacturing and trade to enhance effective poverty reduction programme.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of IUO, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, described the inaugural lecturer, Prof. Mbaegbu as a scholar who is widely published and recognized by Google, Amazon, Web of Science, and among other search engines.
He added that the Don is a member of several professional bodies including the International Institute for Policy Reviews and Development Strategies, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, and Nigeria Institute of management.