By Saidu Idris
365Daily – Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has welcomed a partnership between Nomier Group, owners of Notore Company, and the state government in rice production, saying it will boost food security and job creation for its teeming youths.
The Governor also assured other investors that Gombe State is ready and willing to receive and partner any individual or group wishing to advance the economy of the state through legimate business that will guarantee job creation and enhance productivity in the long run.
Yahaya made this disclosure while granting audience to the a delegation from Nomier Group, led by its Chairman, Mr. Jite Okoloko, at Government House, Gombe.
Speaking on efforts made by his administration to provide enabling environment for investment in the state, the Governor informed his guests that arrangements and processes for the establishment of the Gombe Industrial park, which has provision for agro-allied industries and 40 megawatts Dadin kowa Hydro electricity plant, was near completion.
He stated: “So that will be an opportunity for you to expand more, knowing full well that you are equally interested in Agricultural production, not only in producing fertiliser and chemicals.
“Aside from the Dadin Kowa Dam, we have two more dams making it 3 all together; Balanga Dam and Cham Dam, and even along the coast of Gongola River Basin that comes from Plateau State through Bauchi, through Gombe and ends at Kiri and Numan, joining River Benue, there is a lot of fertile land that needs the attention and the cooperation of people that have the knowledge, finances and the capacity to increase productivity.
“So your idea of coming to see how you can produce rice is a very welcome development to us. We shall join hands with you to achieve that lofty objective.”
He said the location of Gombe at the centre of the North East and being the most peaceful among the six states in the zone with number one status in ease of doing business, places it at a vantage position of production, marketing and distribution.
The Governor disclosed that the North East has a market of about 22 million people and that being the most peaceful State, the people inter-relate not only with the remaining 5 states but also with Kano, Kaduna and other parts of the north and Nigeria in general.
Governor Yahaya added: “Not only that, Cameroon, which is at our southern end through Adamawa and Borno and Chad and even Niger Republic through Yobe and Borno States, are all close to us and we have very good and peaceful business relationship with them but for the issue of this insurgency which we have been able to overcome and which we are trying to make sure it doesn’t extend to other parts of the Northeast.”
He noted that if the army of skilled and unskilled youths are left without some form of engagement, they pose a security threat, not only in the state, but the country as a whole.
“So we will like you to assist and consolidate on business, agriculture and in financial activities and in any other circumstance that you can help us to grow the economy of Nigeria”.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya assured the company that himself and those representing the State at the National Assembly and Federal Executive Council are ready to tie their services to the company so that its lofty objectives can be achieved.
Notore Chemicals Industries Plc is one of the leading fertiliser and agro-allied companies in Africa. The principal activities of the Company are to manufacture, treat, process, produce, supply and deal in nitrogenous fertilizer and all substances suited to improving the fertility of soil and water.