President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday inaugurated the $1bn Dangote Cement Plant at Ibese, Ogun State, the largest cement factory in sub-Saharan Africa.
The President, who also promised to review some road concession agreements between private investors and the Federal Government, said government would provide the enabling environment for productive activities in the country.
He commended the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, for his commitment to the industrialisation of the country and for providing employment opportunities, saying Nigeria would soon be a major exporter of cement with the many plants coming on.
Dangote, on his part, described the $1bn plant as a modern facility with an installed capacity of six million metric tonnes of cement per annum, which currently ranks as the largest cement plant in sub-Saharan Africa.
“The plant consists of two production lines of three million metric tonnes per annum each. We project that the plant will create jobs for about 7,000 Nigerians and will, in addition, substantially boost the supply of cement in the Nigerian market,” he said.
The President said his administration was already working to revitalise rail transportation, especially for the haulage of goods, in order to reduce pressure on the roads.
Jonathan also reiterated the decision of the government to stop the importation of some essential consumables like rice, sugar, fertiliser and cement, adding that the nation should be self sufficient in their production.
The President also said that the Federal Government might review some road concession agreements entered into with some private investors.
He was reacting to a request by Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State.
The governor had said in his welcome address that the governors of Edo, Oyo, Ondo, Lagos, Ogun states were worried about the current deplorable state of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Sagamu-Ore-Benin Expressway, two of the busiest roads in the country.
Specifically, Amosun said the concession agreement on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway should be reviewed with a view to giving the project to a more competent contractor with the requisite experience and resources.
He said the states that the road traversed were ready to partner the Federal Government to fix the roads.
Jonathan said, “The government hurriedly entered into some road concession agreements with some groups of people. We will make sure that we review some of them.”
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hmmmm intersting, "hurriedly entered into an agreement" with incompetent hands, more HASTE less SPEED
ReplyDeleteggud n fine. Mor powa 2 his elbow
ReplyDelete