Niger State Government has held an Investment Summit aimed at transforming the state into an investment giant. Danladi Ndayebo, the state’s Commissioner for Information, speaks with JIDE ORINTUNSIN on the outcome of the summit, among other issues. Excerpts
The first Niger State Investment Climate Summit has just ended. How would you assess the summit?
The summit was a huge success. First, it recorded the kind of attendance that was unprecedented in the history of economic summits in this part of the country. Secondly, we were able to excite investors with business potential in the state and valuable tips on how they can take advantage of these opportunities.
Specifically, we emphasised our competitive advantage in terms of land mass and the huge employment opportunities embedded in agriculture.
So, it was on the strength of what we presented to the investors that they tabled actionable plans that would accelerate economic development in the state in the areas of agriculture/agro-allied businesses, infrastructure, roads, housing, manufacturing, employment generation and wealth creation.
For instance, investors who have their eyes on agriculture were happy to know that the state has about 10 per cent of Nigeria’s entire land mass, of which appreciable percentage is arable. They are also aware that we have people who are friendly, hospitable and welcoming. The peaceful nature of our state also makes it an attractive investment destination.
Why did the summit come at the twilight of your administration?
Many have asked this question, but my answer is: Why not now? In the last seven years, we have worked tirelessly to create a favourable climate for doing business. We have repositioned land administration in a way that has fast-tracked the processes leading to the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy. We have also improved on the way we administer taxes as they concern investors.
What this means is that big-time businessmen who come to Niger State would enjoy tax incentives which may sometimes include outright waivers, depending on the volume of the investment. Contract enforcement and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) centres have also been established so that good investments are not frustrated by unnecessary litigations.
So, these are some of the deliberate steps that we took in order to increase the flow of investments into the state. Without the kind of foundation that we have laid down, all our competitive advantages that we have such as intimidating land mass will amount to nothing.
What major policy reforms has the state embarked upon in order to build the kind of business environment that would attract the multi-billion Naira investments you have talked about?
I have just listed some of the incentives to include the repositioning of land administration which has made issuance of C of O very easy. I have also mentioned another area which has to do with tax administration. Apart from those, the state has a comprehensive package which has made Niger State one of the best investment destinations in the country.
Currently, we have all the laws that encourage private sector participation in the development of the state’s economy. We now have the Fiscal Responsibility Law and the Public Procurement Law which are a set of rules which ensures sound financial management, greater transparency and accountability in public finance.
Also, we have the Small and Medium Enterprises/Micro-finance Agency Law which has ensured a smooth beginning of micro-finance banks and small businesses in the state.
Our Commodity and Export Promotion Agency, which we created through an Act of the Niger State House of Assembly, is also doing excellently well. But the Niger State One Stop Investment Centre is the icing on the cake. We have been able to use the agency to put forward our investment potential in our priority areas of agriculture, solid minerals, tourism, transportation and energy.
Before now, various agencies of government had made efforts to attract businesses to the state. How would you assess those investment drives?
Recall that Niger State is among the five states where Nigeria’s foremost industrialist Aliko Dangote has acquired farmlands for commercial production of rice. I am sure you have not forgotten that part of the agreement requires that Dangote Group would establish two modern rice mills in Niger State, each with a capacity to mill 120,000 metric tons of rice. One of the implications of this is that thousands of jobs will be provided for our young people.
Only recently, a private company indicated interest in investing over N1.6 billion in the establishment of shear butter factory in Mokwa Local Government Area. We have since met our own part of the bargain, which is the provision of 20 hectares of land for the firm.
On completion, the factory would engage about 10,000 people and would generate an average of N10 million monthly. So, no one needs to be told that these and other businesses that would soon take off in the state will be of immense benefit to the people of Niger State.
Does that indicate that the state is giving impetus to agriculture only where it has competitive advantage?
Agriculture is being given priority attention because it is our competitive advantage. But we have other priority sectors where the state government has made huge investments in order to attract the right kind of businesses.
In the area of tourism for instance, the state has 65 tourist sites which if properly harnessed, will spin a lot of money for the state. Popular among our tourist sites are Zuma Rock, Kainji Lake National Park, Gurara Waterfalls, Baro Empire Hills, Mungo Park Cenotaph and the Zungeru Colonial Ruins.
In the area of energy, it is common knowledge that Niger State houses the three hydro-electric power stations in the country, with the fourth under construction in Zungeru. We have several other opportunities in the areas of mini-hydro power projects, municipal waste-to-power projects and rural electrification/ distribution projects.
Niger State also has huge investment potential in the area of solid minerals. We have gold, beryl (light blue honey), amethyst, tourmalines, quartz and other minerals in commercial quantities.
How do you intend to consolidate on these achievements in order to further move the state forward?
The Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu administration has done a lot to better the lot of its people and this cut across all the critical sectors of the state’s economy. We shall continue to do all the things that have made Niger State a home for all. We shall continue to stamp our seal of excellence in all spheres of human endeavour so that whoever comes to the state would want to live here forever.
For instance, we will consolidate on our landmark achievements in the area of agriculture. From 2007 to date, we procured 400 units of tractors which we distributed to the Tractor Hiring Units Implementation Programme in the 25 local government areas to boost agricultural production and revitalised agricultural extension infrastructure by renovating nine centres across the state. We have also distributed 100 motorcycles to extension workers in order to facilitate their movements. This has given meaning to the lives of our rural farmers and would be sustained.
We also established the Niger Rice Investment Consortium (NSRIC) Project to boost rice production and position Niger State as the major producer of high quality rice in the country. To get the project started, we established and equipped five Agricultural Equipment Hiring Centres of the NSRIC Project in the rice producing communities of Doko, Jima, Mambe, Ndaloke and Gaba.
Irrigation programme has also enjoyed a boost with the reactivation of 16 schemes across the state to boost all-year-farming. We have also registered over 270,000 farmers under the Growth Enhancement Support (GES).
It is because of our modest efforts that the state was selected as one of four additional phase II states for the implementation of the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP II) in collaboration with the World Bank and French Development Agency.
Our healthcare delivery services are also among the best. In the past seven-and-a-half years, we have made tremendous progress in the area of healthcare delivery. We have been providing free medical services for children under five, pregnant women (up to 40 days post-delivery) and the aged over 70 years of age.
We have constructed and equipped three modern, hi-tech general hospitals in the three senatorial zones located at Gulu, Sabon Wuse and Nasko. Government has also embarked on the construction of 134-bed neo-natal and maternity wings as part of the expansion of Minna General Hospital (with funding support from SURE-P Special Projects Directorate).
Between 2007 and now, we have constructed over 200 primary health care centres in partnership with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) office, aside the renovation of all existing general hospitals and primary health care centres.
Some rural health centres were also upgraded to the status of general hospitals. They are General Hospital Kutigi, General Hospital Agaie and Lemu General Hospital.
The current administration has also introduced Ward Development Project. It is a novel initiative which has since become iconic and a model to other states.
Under the project, funds are allocated to the 274 wards on a monthly basis and a committee of selected persons superintend over a forum where the entire community agreed on projects of their choice. This has given a huge sense of belonging to the people at the grassroots.
