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Publish Date : 23-Dec-2014

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the wealthiest man in Africa, has announced that he his looking to invest nearly $9 billion in agriculture and grow and develop farmlands and a food processing plant in Kebbi state. While disclosing this, state governor, Usman Saidu Dakingari, said for investment of this kind to take be made the government has to create an enabling environment as incentive to potential investors who seek to take advantage of the vast agricultural prospects of the state. The governor said it was to promote investment in the agro-allied the state's potential that prompted his government to build the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi to facilitate the traveling of businessmen who look to invest in the state.

He said Kebbi has been supplying onions to Morocco and other countries in Africa and the Middle East, however, farmers and farm produce buyers face difficult in assessing the produce from the state. He noted that air freighting of farm produce direct from the state would generate larger market for farmers who will have the chance to choose the market that is most lucrative and earn more for their efforts. The governor said : "Let me say this; Dangote's company approached Kebbi state and expressed the desire to put an investment of about $9 billion, in sugar cane, rice and maybe ranching. I have seen such investment in Kenya and other places like Namibia. Meat produced from these countries are processed and exported overseas to Europe. If people like Dangote come in and say this is possible; we have fruits, onions; we have one of the best markets for onion in Kebbi State. These days we produce watermelon too, we produce mangoes and all these are things that can go overseas."

He added : "At present there is a farmer just around the airport that has started warehousing; he will build warehouses for both export and import. These are things that will not happen in one day but the airport is futuristic. In the last two weeks, we started flying in and out of Kebbi, today the aircraft that we started with was full all the time and at times we had to leave passengers behind. So, by God's grace, we are likely to improve and get a better aircraft and we are sure we will take 60 per cent of the passengers in Sokoto."

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