Eleven Nigerian governors on
Friday stormed the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals in Lekki, Lagos to have
on the spot assessment of the massive project.
The governors are Ahmadu Umaru
Fintiri (Adamawa), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Mallam Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna),
AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq (Kwara), Prince Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Godwin Obaseki
(Edo), Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Babagana Zulum
(Borno), Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Bala Muhammed (Bauchi), while the governor
of Cross Rivers State, Benedict Ayade was represented by his deputy, Ivara Esu.
They were led on the visit by the
Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Dr. Fayemi, who described the Dangote
Refinery and Petrochemicals as a pride
to Nigeria and Africa.
The NGF said the project would
contribute immensely to Africa’s economy and help the continent attain food
security when fully operational.
He said: “This is an inspirational
initiative by the President of the Dangote Group, Mr Aliko Dangote. It
demonstrates the possibility where government provides the enabling environment
the way the Lagos State government has done for individuals that are
serious-minded and has what it takes to excel.
“This an individual that has put
together a $12 billion project that we have toured almost through out the day
and had to cut it short to be able to attend to other businesses.
“This is a pride to Africa and
not just to Nigeria. I don’t know anywhere in Africa you will find a complex
such as this. I don’t think that there are many places in the world where you
will find a complex as comprehensive and extensive as the one we have been
privileged to tour.
“We are all looking forward to
the products that will come out from this place. The plastics, the oil from the
refinery and the fertilizers for our agriculture,” he said.
Fayemi added that the state
governments’ investment in agriculture would be given a boost by the fertiliser
plant which is the largest in Africa.
The NGF chairman urged
governments to continue to create an enabling environment through right
incentives and policies as well as provision of infrastructure needed to
attract investors to their states.
Also, Sanwo-Olu commended Dangote
for taking the decision to put the strategic investment in Lagos, adding that
the government would continue to do its best to support the smooth completion
of the project.
He said: “This project is sited
close to the Lekki Free Trade Zone and Lekki Deep Sea Port and we are bringing
development to our people.
“Part of the things we are doing
here is to bring a comprehensive new infrastructure to the communities. We are
closing up on two different road connections out of this place. One will go to
Epe, and another one will go to Ijebu Ode and back to Lagos.”
The Lagos State governor added
that the plan of the government was to open up the place so that people could
come and work, live and contribute to the economy.
On his part, Aliko Dangote
thanked the governors for the visit to the facilities and assured them that the
group would continue to invest in Nigeria to create jobs and make all Nigerians
proud.
“We will continue to make sure
that we are the ones that will lead and others will follow. We want to bring
all our monies to Nigeria and invest where we belong to,” he said.
Dangote, however, urged the
governors to focus on the areas of health, education and capital development,
adding that these sectors should be part of their key responsibilities to their
people.
Mr Devakumar Edwin, Executive
Director, Strategy, Capital Projects and Portfolio Development, Dangote Group,
said all the states would benefit from the three million Metric Tonnes Per
Annum fertiliser plant because it would improve the agricultural sector.
Edwin noted that the
650,000-barrels-per-day refinery could meet 100 per cent of the Nigerian
requirement of all liquid petroleum products and would have surplus for export.
“The refinery project will create
1,600 permanent jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs. It will save Nigeria over $7.5
billion annually through import substitution, ” he said.
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