Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State has opened discussions with foreign investors and business owners with a view to encouraging them to partner the state government in its efforts aimed at boosting foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to the state.
Bello, at the Unlock Africa Programme investors’ meetings in London, expressed the state government’s readiness to partner the investors, including through fiscal incentives support, in many areas that would engender sustainable growth of Niger State and socio-economic wellbeing of its residents.
A news report by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) indicated that the governor had fruitful discussions with several development partners and investors in the areas of agriculture, education, infrastructure, energy financing, mining and tourism among others.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mary Noel-Berje, stated that Bello recognised that partnership with genuine investors was significant in making Nigeria, particularly Niger State, a conducive business environment for the United Kingdom investors.
While stressing that Niger state is a choice destination for global trade and investment opportunities going by it potential, the governor maintained that the state could become a major supplier of raw materials of agricultural products to factories.
He, however, pointed out that to optimise the potential benefits of the resources for the state, there was the need to add value to them through partnership with investors so as to increase the internally generated revenue and create jobs in the state.
Some of the investors were reported to have expressed their readiness to partner the government if given a conducive environment to thrive.
Amongst the companies’ representatives the governor met with include those of ACM group for project funding, Aspuna Group for Agro sector, UCL Energy Group Ltd for Infrastructure, Katzenber Ltd for project financing structure and Eagle Scientific Ltd for Education.
At the governor’s meetings with the foreign companies’ chiefs were the State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Danmallam Nasara; Chairman of Niger State House of Assembly’s Committee on Finance, Zakari Abubakar; and Chief of Staff to the governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe.
