DELTA State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has urged the Federal Government to implement recommendations of different study groups of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru for the benefits of the people.

Governor Okowa made the call Monday in Asaba when he received members of Executive Course 38 of NIPSS who were on study tour of Delta State.

According to the Governor, the NIPSS comes up with topics designed to reposition Nigeria economically every year but, it was sad that recommendations from the Institute were not implemented for the benefits of the people.

While noting that the theme of the study tour, “Strengthening Institutional Mechanism for Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Development,” was apt based on the current economic realities in the country, the Governor said, “every year, various study groups make recommendations on topical issues affecting the nation which are not implemented; I want to call on government to take these studies serious enough, to examine the issues and resolutions on the topics raised so that it can impact on our people.”

He observed that the best way of reducing poverty was for the country to depend less on oil economy and diversify into agriculture and entrepreneurship, stating, “dependence on oil economy may give rise to good Gross Domestic Product but less inclusive in development of human resources.”

The Governor disclosed that at inception, his administration paid special attention to entrepreneurial development of the youths of the state, reiterating that while technical schools have been renovated and equipped to train the youths on different skills, institutions of higher learning in the state were encouraged to include entrepreneurial development in their curriculum.

The Governor informed the team about the progress made by his administration in the area of poverty reduction amongst the people, stating that such programmes like the Youth Agricultural Empowerment Programme (YAGEP) and Skill Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) have empowered more than 1,300 Deltans to be entrepreneurs while more Deltans were undergoing training and others accessing funds from the micro-credit programme of his administration.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Prof. Habu Galadima, who is the Director of Research at the NIPSS lauded Governor Okowa’s initiatives in the area of poverty reduction programmes disclosing that the team was on a study tour of the state.