Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole has lauded the aggressive investment drive of the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, noting that without his resolve to build industries and employ Nigerians, so many youths would have been jobless.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony of six million metric tonnes Dangote Cement’s new plant in Okpella, Edo State, Oshiomhole said Nigerians would be forever grateful to the industrialists for helping to reduce the unemployment rate in the country.
Dangote Industries Limited is the largest employer of labour in the country outside the federal government.
The new plant in Okpella, Edo State is also expected to employ over 50,000 youths, both directly and indirectly in the next 18 months.
Oshiomole said: “Dangote is a special breed. He is an enigma that has done so much for the youth of this country. He should be lauded for doing so much to develop our youth and put food on the table of thousands of Nigerians. For us in Edo State, we are grateful and will continue to be grateful for this huge investment” Noting that the investment was equivalent to the total capitalexpenditure deployed in the state since he assumed office over seven years ago, he urged other businessmen and women to emulate the investment drive of Dangote, saying that this was the only way the country would grow from strength to strength and create job opportunities for the nation’s teeming unemployed youths.
“Over the next 26 months, cement will be rolling out of the facility and I want to say that this investment would not have been possible without peace and confidence in the state,” Oshiomhole said.
The new 6 million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) capacity cement plant is coming on the heels of similar arrangement for another 6 million metric tonnes per annum capacity cement plant in Itori, in Ogun State where the company is currently running a 12million MTPA cement plants at Ibese, in Yewa division of the state.
By this investment, Dangote’s production capacity will go up further to 41million MTPA, in Nigeria alone. In his remark, Aliko Dangote said he would never shy away from investing in Nigeria saying Nigeria still remained the best place to invest in the world.
According to him, “a key factor that drives investments in an economy is the presence of an investor-friendly business climate. Indeed, Edo State today, is one of the most attractive investment destinations in Nigeria.
“The economic reforms in Edo State especially in the area of tax, innovations in rural finance and investment on infrastructure, have produced an enabling environment that has further provided a platform for future growth. All these factors made us consider investing in the state.
[Leadership]
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