Africa frontline industrialist, Aliko Dangote says he will invest in the rich limestone region in Gombe State, North-East Nigeria by building a cement factory in the area.
Africa’s richest individual, Aliko Dangote, at the weekend indicated his company’s readiness to take advantage of Gombe state’s favourable business environment by locating a cement manufacturing plant in the North-east state.Speaking to newsmen after a closed-door meeting with the
state Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, the businessman noted that Gombe state under the
current leadership, has provided a good template for his company to invest.
He maintained that the time was therefore ripe to take full
advantage of the huge limestone, coal and gypsum deposits in the state and
commence cement manufacturing.
Dangote noted that the governor had provided the necessary
investment atmosphere and infrastructure needed to attract and keep
manufacturing companies functioning to the maximum capacity, especially with
the setting up of the Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park, which he described as a
novel project.
The foremost industrialist praised Yahaya’s business acumen
and his pragmatic governance style, saying that although government has no
business in investment endeavours, yet the governor had been exemplary in his
investment drive.
“I commend Governor Inuwa Yahaya for doing his best in terms
of laying down the policy framework for a good investment environment. We have
had fruitful discussions on our investment plans with the governor.
“In fact Gombe state should be one of the highest producers
of cement in the country. It is one of the very lucrative areas for us in terms
of cement production. The state has a location advantage; it is close to Borno
and other North-eastern states as well as Cameroon and so on.
“ So, if we produce 20 per cent of what we need here, it
will be about the cheapest instead of bringing them over here from other
locations. So if we have the opportunity to do so, we will definitely start
production here,” he assured.
Shedding light on the significant reduction in diesel prices
by his company, Dangote said the move
was a patriotic gesture that will effectively lower transportation costs and
subsequently reduce food prices because of the widespread impact of diesel on
everyday commodities.
He cited transportation as a significant contributor to the
high cost of goods, particularly in urban centres, stating that by slashing its price, it will
help reduce financial burdens on consumers and foster economic stability.
“It is just to demonstrate that we are very patriotic and
when we look at it, the business actually affects the lives of everybody. To produce anything, the major cost is
diesel.
“So, when we looked at it, I said we should try and bring
down the cost. Because people who have held on to the business for a very long
time were profiteering and we decided that we can afford to sell diesel at
N1,000 per litre.
“It is about 60 per cent drop; areas like here (Gombe),
Borno, Bauchi and the rest, it was selling between N1,700 to N1,800 but right
now, I am sure in the next few days, you will not buy diesel at more than
N1,100/ litre,” he said.
Also speaking, the Gombe State Governor, Yahaya, appealed to
Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Group, Dangote, to consider investing in the state.
Yahaya, who painted a compelling picture of the state as a
prime destination for investment and economic prosperity, highlighted its
remarkable business-friendly environment as well as its status as the best state in ease of
doing business in Nigeria.
The governor emphasised Gombe’s abundance of solid mineral
resources as well as the impressive infrastructure, including the sprawling
1,000-hectare Industrial Park situated
near the 40-megawatt Dadinkowa power plant.
He argued that the strategic location not only offers ample
space for industrial expansion but also ensures access to reliable power
supply, a crucial factor for sustained industrial operations.
Besides, Yahaya highlighted the centrality of Gombe State in the North-east, serving as a commercial nerve centre with peaceful environment and positioning the state as an attractive destination for investors seeking stability and growth opportunities.
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