Dr Aliko Dangote, the President, Dangote Group has urged state governments in Nigeria to consider as topmost priority, the provision of enabling environment for investments as a potent means of attracting private sector operators.
A statement said while speaking at Nasarawa Economic Summit in Lafia, Dangote said there was no state in Nigeria that was not blessed with resources which could serve as potential for industrial growth.
What the states should do, he said, was to look inwards and put in place economic policies that guaranteed conducive environment for investments.
“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 said.
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 was adding value not only to the economy of the state but also to Nigeria in general.
He stated that such enabling environment situation in Nasarawa made his Dangote Sugar Plc to invest multi-million-dollars in sugar business in the state.
Dangote said various economic policies, including the land reforms put in place by the Nasarawa State Government, were necessary requirements to a state that was committed to promoting enabling socio-economic development and improving the quality of lives of their citizenry.
He commended the State Governor, Abdulahi Sule, for providing the necessary enablers for the investment summit to achieve its goals.
Such enablers, he said, included providing committed and focused leadership and well-thought-out institutional framework that would enable the creation of sustainable conducive business and investment climate.
He also said that it was not enough to develop a credible and comprehensive plan that would identify investment opportunities and projects, noting it was more important to back these up with supportive public policies and regulations that would these investment opportunities competitive.
Credit: punchng.com
