Niger State Investment Summit

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FG COMMITTED TO DEEPENING COLLABORATION WITH STATES IN DEVELOPING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE – OSINBAJO

*Says states will be encouraged to own and develop federal infrastructure

“We are prepared to partner with any State that wants to go ahead and develop what used to be federal infrastructure, in partnership with the private sector.’’

KEYNOTE ADDRESS OF HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, ACTING PRESIDENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT NIGER STATE INVESTMENT SUMMIT, HELD ON MONDAY 14TH AUGUST, 2017 IN MINNA, NIGER STATE.

Let me say how pleased I am to be here at this very important summit in a State which in many senses is symbolic of the greatness and hope of Nigeria.

This State as we have heard boast of size, 10 per cent of Nigeria’s land area and this is perhaps the largest tracts of arable land in the entire West African sub-region, we have the largest number of hydropower assets, a hardworking, resourceful, youthful population and an experienced and purposeful leadership.

Niger State is therefore truly the Nigerian story, a story of real potential, abundant resources and great hope. We all now recognize that the hope lies in agriculture. First, to borrow Mr President’s words, “we should grow what we eat and consume what we make’’.

But even more importantly, how we should develop the potential of the entire agricultural value chain by innovative value adding enterprises.

Even in the best days of oil dominance in Nigeria, agriculture provided jobs for 30 per cent of our population, and about the same percentage in contribution to GDP. It is agriculture that is clearly the surest pathway to diversifying our economy, to ensuring food security and improving our foreign exchange earnings.

But we have always known these facts; we have always known that the fundamental of sustainable growth and development for Nigeria is not in the hydrocarbon industry, it is in agriculture and agribusiness. But knowledge and resources have never been our problem.

Our problem has always been translating resources and knowledge into positive actions and results, which is why this summit is so important.

The incredible potential of Niger State requires translation to jobs, to public revenues and prosperity for all. Niger State has the capacity not just to feed Nigeria, but even most of the African continent.

Niger State also has the key role to play in ensuring Nigeria’s energy sufficiency. With the three hydroelectric power stations in the country, Kainji, Jebba, and Shiroro, all located in the State, there is clearly a natural affinity for environmentally sustainable projects. The State slogan, the “Power State” is very well earned but must be further extended through investments in various aspects of the power value chain, including renewable energies.

I just want to make a point about renewable energy. In Wuna, a village just outside Abuja, we have launched a major solar power initiative, and we are doing so in several other villages. That village used to have no power at all, but now we have solar power, in each of the homes and schools. We also have solar power for the processing of agricultural products in that area and the solar power is paid for by the villagers themselves.

They are happy to pay for it and to ensure they sustain it. Within the same village, there are many people who have now been trained to use and not just install solar power, but to repair solar panels and there is also a whole payment system around it. We believe that the way forward in our country especially in States where radiation is very high such as Niger State, the way forward is solar power, we must do more solar power, we must use solar power in the villages, so that we can increase the capacity of the rural farmers to continue to process their goods and solar power will become cheaper and cheaper every day.

Again, just like Nigeria, this State is full of hidden surprises. Many may not know that Niger State has the largest National Park in Nigeria – the Kainji National Park which covers over 5,300 square kilometres of pristine forests, spectacular waterfalls and serene lakes. This presents an exceptional opportunity to develop a commercial ecosystem to attract international tourism to this beautiful State. Indeed, this State like most of Nigeria is largely an undiscovered jewel; a real treasure as they say “hiding in plain sight’.

Another key area that Niger State must take into account in drawing up its investment plans is to take advantage of its location closeness to Abuja, especially for attracting industry.

In other words, just as New Jersey in the United States leverages its advantage of being close to New York, or for that matter, Ogun State which has successfully implemented in its own policies cashing on its geographical relationship to Lagos State, this State must also take advantage of its close location in relationship to the Federal Capital Territory to become a manufacturing hub of sorts. This is especially the case and I think must be the case for Small and Medium enterprises that can produce light manufacturing to serve the rapidly growing population of Abuja.

Focusing on these priorities, of course, means that the infrastructure in the State should be first class. I have mentioned power but there is also scope for first-rate, well serviced industrial parts, a good network of rural roads, a series of small dams for irrigation apart from huge hydro dams. Of course, there are small dams like Wushishi and a few others that can be converted to great use for irrigation. There is in this regard need for concerted efforts to improve the road link to Abuja.

I want to say in particular especially in relation to what His Royal Highness the Sultan said. I agree with you entirely that there is a need for us to something about that link road to Abuja, and we are doing so as His Excellency the Governor pointed out.

Already the Minna-Kakuti has been done that is about 40 km and that is on account of all the work that the Governor is doing. Mangala to Kakuti is still to be done and that is probably one of the bad parts and we have already in consultation with the Governor decided on how to go about this.

And how to ensure that compensation is paid for the portion that is done. By the way, the contract for the dualization of the road has also been awarded. So I am sure that very soon, His Royal Highness would not have to ride his horse or camel to be able to get across that road, he would be able to go very easily without any problem at all!

But I also want to say and this is a very important which His Royal Highness has mentioned which is what he described as the devolution of the economy to the States especially infrastructure to the States.

Again, I want to mention that the President just before he launched the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, announced the policy at the Federal Executive Council, which is that any State willing to own infrastructure should be able to do so.

We have already given to Kaduna State the Ahmadu Bello Way, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe bye-pass, so, Kaduna State now owns that particular infrastructure and can take care of that infrastructure. We have also given Lagos the Airport road, so they own that particular infrastructure and we are prepared to partner with any State that wants to go ahead and develop what used to be federal infrastructure, in partnership with the private sector. So that is the very important part of the policy of the federal government on this issue.

In addition, I think we must also talk about river resources, and I believe that the Niger State government must become a champion for the development of inland waterways starting with a close collaboration with the Federal Government to finish and operationalize the Baro Port.

Everyone here, of course, knows that one of the key priorities of the Federal Government is to provide an enabling environment for business to thrive in the national economy. This is why the ERGP is hinged on attracting private sector investments to the critical sector of the economy.

For this to happen on the scale expected, it must be easier for business to be conducted in Nigeria. With PEBEC, the Federal Government has focused on the biggest obstacles at the National level. PEBEC, by the way, is Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council which was launched by Mr President last year and I was asked to chair that particular council. We have done quite a bit of work.

To achieve success in this regard, the efforts of the Federal Government is complemented by the State Governments. I want to acknowledge and commend the efforts of the Niger State government to make the State more business-friendly. And I believe that what His Excellency the Governor has done, is the sort of example which we are hoping other States would emulate.

Some of the notable measures that the Niger State government has already embarked upon is the creation of the Niger State Geographic Information System (NIGIS); the streamlined issuance of certificates of occupancy within 72 hours; and the reduction in the cost of getting a Certificate of Occupancy by 90% (from N150,000 – N180,000) to only N15,000.

Similarly, successfully attracting investments requires a whole of government approach, but must be coordinated for effectiveness. Again I must commend His Excellency, the Governor who as Commissioner of Investment, Commerce and Cooperative, led the creation of a one-stop Investment Centre within 12 months and drove the process of establishing a fully-fledged investment promotion agency.

I note with pleasure that the creation of the Investment Promotion Agency is now in the process of being passed into law. I urge that when finally established, the Investment Promotion Agency takes on board the lesson of the Federal MSME Clinics including the fact that it must work with other regulatory agencies at the Federal and State levels to facilitate all business which provides up to 50% of GDP and nearly 80% of employment in the country.

It is important that the one-stop centre recognizes that MSMEs are the engine of growth of the Nigerian economy and the engine of growth elsewhere. We have done quite a bit of work with the MSMEs we have gone to several States looking at how we can bring regulatory agencies to the States to the MSMEs.

We have gone to about eight States or so now where we have taken NAFDAC, SON, FIRS, BOI to meet with the MSMEs and in many cases, they have found that experience is important in being able to improve their services. And we are also improving the services of the CAC.

The CAC as you know use to take forever to be able to register businesses, but now they have an electronic platform that is functioning over 90% of the time and we are almost now certain that you can register companies within almost 48 hours and we are trying to improve that per day.

I want to say that by hosting this Summit, Niger State is rightly proactively seeking sustainable, long-term investments that will support the inclusive, sustainable and resilient growth and development that the State needs. I know that this summit will effectively deliver the connections, the networks and investment collaboration that it so required, that is so important and for which I believe it was designed.

The active dialogue between relevant stakeholders and the opportunity for Niger State to showcase its investment prospects should translate into even greater investment flows and will catalyse the State’s efforts at meeting its economic growth targets.

His Excellency, the Governor and I have begun discussions on how the State and FG will collaborate to set some robust objectives for agricultural production and agribusiness. The vision is to position Niger State to feed at least 50% of Africa, not 50% of Nigeria. Now, this may sound like a tall order given today’s level of production.

But we must set our sights high, and we have set our sights high. And the simple reason is that everything to achieve that particular objective is ready.

There is no question at all that the State has all the available resources, everything that is required to be able to feed not just Nigeria, but at least half of the African continent. Very few States in Africa, very few countries in Africa have the type of arable land size that this State has and is the largest State in land area, in the largest economy in Africa, there is absolutely no reason why we cannot achieve that particular objective. So we are looking forward to next year to ask ourselves how far we have gone.

I want to just say in closing that it is exciting indeed to see a State government that is pursuing its objectives as diligently as Niger State is doing. And I must commend His Excellency the Governor on what he is doing in this State and for the able work that he is doing.

But I must add my voice to the advice of Col. Sani Bello (Rtd) and President Obasanjo that this summit must set clear targets for the State and identify the synergies with the private sector, federal government and other States, so that next year, we begin with a report card of actual work done and progress that has been made.

So let me again on this note congratulate my brother the dynamic Governor of the State and express my personal salutation to the great people of this great State.