OKPELLA–The federal government has said that with continuous investment in the mining sector Nigeria would earn $25 billion per annum by the year 2025 just as it disclosed that plans have concluded to meet with the 36 state governors to simplify access to land by investors in the mining industry.
The Minister of Solid Mineral, Dr. Kayode Fayemi disclosed this yesterday at the ground-breaking ceremony of the over $1 billion 2-line six million metric tonnes capacity cement plant, sited at Okpella, Etsako east local government area of Edo state.
While commending the Dangote Group for championing the federal government industrialisation policy, Fayemi lamented that for now only 0.24 percent of the country’s GDP comes from the mining industry
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Trade, Investment and Industry, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, represented by Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, noted that the ground-breaking ceremony marked another mile stone in the history of Dangote family.
“What we are witnessing today is a path to national development and peace”. He remarked.
He also urged the Dangote Group and other investors to always honour agreements reached with their host communities in other to ensure safety of their investments.
In his speech, the host governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state, noted that all the money invested by the state government on infrastructure in the past seven and half years, is a little less than what the Dangote Group is investing in the Okpella cement plant.
“We recognise that the plant that is being set up, for which we are doing the ground-breaking today, is worth over $1 billion. It means that all the activities of Edo state government over the past seven and half years is just about the same value ad what we are about to commence today,” he said.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Chairman of Etsako east local government area, Prince Suleman Afegbua, who lauded governor Oshioomhole for attracting the citing of the plant in Okpella, noted that the “establishment of a gargantuan cement plant in Okpella by Dangote, will not only make Nigeria self-reliant but a strong exporter of the products to other countries.”
While promising the maximum cooperation of the people of Okpella for the project, Afegbua reminded the management of the cement plant not to forget it’s social responsibilities to its host community.
“We are peace-loving and diligent people capable of protecting investments on our soil. It remains to add that Okpella is safe for your investments.
“However, I wish to appeal to the Dangote Group to engage Okpella community in term of corporate social responsibility through a transparent Community development agreement.
“To this end, our people are equally expecting job opportunities, provision of schools, water, power supply, hospitals and rural roads to compliment government effort,” he stated.
