TUNJI-OJO ADVOCATES FOR FOCUS ON NON-OIL SECTOR ...... Says Lottery Is Not Always About Gambling.

R-L: Tunji-Ojo welcoming Lanre Gbajabiamila, DG NLRC to his office

..... Commends the Director-General of NLRC for curtailing the abuses in lottery processes in Nigeria.

The lottery sector is a non-oil sector investment that is yet to be fully tapped into in Nigeria, taking into cognizance the country's growing population.

This was the position of the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo when he received in audience, the management team of the Nigeria Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), led by its Director-General, Lanre Gbajabiamila in his office.

The Minister, in a statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations Department, Ozoya Imohimi on Thursday, advocated for the country to focus on the non-oil sector for economic growth.

"Lottery is not always gambling as held by some people," Tunji-Ojo stated while also noting that some Nigerians feed their families from the proceeds of lottery business.

"There is an established correlation between lottery and crime. There is close link between lottery, gambling, drugs, money laundering and terrorism, hence the need for the Ministry of Interior, saddled with responsibility for internal security, to partner with NLRC to provide a conducive atmosphere for foreign investors to operate in the country."

He commended the Director-General for curtailing the abuses in lottery processes in Nigeria, saying this was attributed to the reforms instituted by him in the lottery sector.

Earlier, the Director-General National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Lanre Gbajabiamila said he was in the Ministry of Interior to solicit for the Ministry's support and collaboration to achieve ease of doing business for the foreign investors.

He said this is because lottery business attracts foreign investors, especially as it relates to the non oil sector.

Gbajabiamila stated that with the collaboration, the Commission will be able to identify investors in the sector.