Nigeria Beyond Oil: Ooni Of Ife Says Ife’s Gold Needs Exploration Channels Television.
Ife will be the take-off point of the new Nigerian
economy in a post oil and gas era.
Oba Ogunwusi expressed optimism that an
exploration of the huge solid minerals in the state,
especially gold, would give an unprecedented boost
to the nation's economy and shift it away from
volatility of the crude oil market.
He stressed the need for focus to shift from oil and
gas to other solid minerals in Nigerian states.
"All over the country solid minerals are everywhere.
But we haven't even exploited it.
"Indeed, we can survive without oil and gas. If we
don't have oil and gas, we can survive because the
mysteries in this land are more than anywhere in the
world.
"There is a huge potential in Ife. There is no solid
mineral we don't have. We have gold, Timberlight
Gemstone… We have very large scale deposit of all
those materials and I like to practice what I preach,"
the monarch told Modele Sarafa-Yusuf on Channels
Television's programme, 'View From The Top'.
The Oba said that he was already working with the
State and Federal Governments to promote solid
minerals, tourism and agriculture to keep the youths
engaged and promote the local economy.
Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi and Modele Sarafa-
Yusuf
He urged the leaders to lead by personal example,
advocating the use of made in Nigeria goods.
"The beads that I am wearing, I went as far as Benin
Kingdom to go an exploit the beads. People don't
wear it any longer but it is made in Nigeria and I am
proud to say it. The gold in between it, I took it from
Mokuru waters in Ife and it is one of the most
purified gold in the world. It is a 23.9 karat gold, raw.
We just decided to do surface mining.
"We have it in Nigeria. We have it in Ife, Ilesa and in
Niger State. All these things are just littered
everywhere. But there is nobody to harness and put
all those structures in place.
"We have focused too much on oil and gas.
"So I am very proud to say today that what I am
wearing is made in Nigeria hundred per cent. This
throne, the shoe that I am wearing are made in
Nigeria. It is that bad, the soap I use is made in Ile
Ife. That is the only way Nigerian economy can grow.
So we must lead by example," the Ooni of Ife
stressed.
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