President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has challenged state governments to consider as topmost priority, the provision of enabling environment for investments as a potent means of attracting private sector operators to their state for investments.
The business mogul who was speaking on the sideline during the recently concluded Nasarawa economic summit in Lafia, said there is no state in Nigeria that is not blessed with resources which could serve as potential for industrial growth.
What the states should do, according to him, is to look inward and put in place economic policies that guarantee environment that would be conducive for investments in the available resources in the states.
“When states provide enabling environment, it will incentivize the private sector to invest and it will be a win-win situation for both the state and the private sector”, he explained.
Dangote recalled how the enabling environment in Lagos had motivated private sector operators to move into the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos to establish companies which is now adding value not only to the economy of the state but also to Nigeria in general.
In the same vein, he stated that such is the enabling environment situation in Nasarawa that made his Dangote Sugar Plc to invest multi-million dollar sugar business in the state.
Dangote reiterated his position earlier while speaking during the opening of the summit that various economic policies including the land reform put in place by the Nasarawa state government were necessary requirements to a state that is committed to promote enabling socio-economic development, as well as improve the quality of lives of their citizenry.
Dangote commended the state governor Engr. Abdulahi Sule for providing the necessary enablers for the investment summit to achieve its goals. Such enablers, he said include, providing committed and focused leadership and well thought out institutional framework that enables the creation of sustainable conducive business and investment climate.
Dangote equally pointed out that it was not enough developing credible, comprehensive plan that identifies investment opportunities and projects but backing these up with supportive public policies and regulations that make these investment opportunities competitive.
“Here is the good news, I can say with confidence that Nasarawa State has in place all the three requirements that promises to guarantee the attainment of the goals of this summit.”
“First, I can say, with all humility, that the state has the leadership with the vision and commitment to achieve it,” he said, while describing the Nasarawa governor, Engr. Abdulahi Sule as one of the visionary leaders that made the success of the Dangote Group possible.”
“As the GMD then of Dangote Sugar Plc, he has proven this by positioning Dangote Sugar in the top tier of stock in the Nigerian Stock Exchange as the leading sugar company in Nigeria and also Africa,” Dangote stated.
Also speaking, former president of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, in his keynote address shared some key thoughts on how Nasarawa State can proceed, with the benefit of hindsight, with its investment plan and implementation milestones.