Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike has lauded the Idu Industrial Park in the nation’s capital, Abuja, as having the capacity to provide 40,000 jobs.
The Minister who disclosed this to newsmen during his first visit to the park on Wednesday described the project as mind bugling.
Wike said there is no government that will not support that type of investment, and it is what is really needed to grow the Nigerian economy.
He said: “This is mind-bugling. This is my first time of coming to the Abuja Industrial Park.
“You can imagine how the whole of Idu will be developed. This is what every government craves for, and we must give them the necessary support.
“You don’t need to be told, having seen what is going on, something will happen in the next three-four years, and they have assured us that if that approval is given, in eight to nine months, they would have competed the construction, and then all of this area will be opened.
“There is no city that if you want to develop and you don’t have industrial park, how will that city develop.
“So we are very happy and we want to thank the Managing Director of Zeberced fir their commitment to making sure that Abuja is growing, Nigeria economy is going to move fast.
“If you look at the production, look at the thickness of those pipes, and like he said, some people will run away from putting Made in Nigeria, but it is made in Nigeria. There is no need to discredit yourself not to sell yourself. I really thank them.
“Continue what you are doing. As far as I am concerned, I have never seen this in the entire country. This is the first time am seing this. Some people have being conceptualizing industrial park, this will be a wonder land.
“What’s important is that how do we synergise; first of all, we gave out this land to them 12 years ago. We are constructing that road. Without that road, this industrial park cannot take place. So government is providing the infrastructure that we need for the development of this industrial park.
“Talking about export, it’s already a free trade zone. One of the incentives that can drive companies to come is where they are not taxed and this is an incentive to so many companies, so when there is power….what kills many businesses is because you have no stability of power and that drives people away.
“Look at manufacturers, there is no power, the high cost of disel to run their generators kill most of the businesses, but then you are sure that power is there, which means your business go on.
“What evey government is interested in is first of all creating employment. If here can create not less than 40,000 jobs, you know what it means: it reduces the burden, it reduces the rate of unemployment.
“Secondly, it will grow the economy and when you grow the economy, he told me there are producing one product which will be exported, Nigeria has raw materials but has not been able to harness it, and they are doing that.
“For me, it’s not everything you talk about export, what is important is, first create jobs, when jobs are created and production is made, and it’s a good quality production, people will buy, outsiders will also buy.”
The Minister also pledged to support provision of road network to the industrial par, when he said: “One of the things that we considered if you see the road we came through. That’s a single carriage way being done by Salini, and in order to complement the efforts of what the government is doing, the company offered to also carry out the construction of the other single carriage to make it dual carriageway.
“But in that case, will be like giving them some tax credit so that they will be able to do that road which is about eight to ten kilometers. If that is done, then you know that, already, we would benefit tremendously.
“So many companies will have opportunity to come in here because now there is a free zone for them, and will have regular electricity, which is what keeps manufacturers going.
“We will not hesitate to make that approval which has been made for finalizing the cost. I have directed the Executive Secretary, FCDA to make sure that everything is put in place to fast track the approval coming out from the Federal Ministry of Finance so that the company can start construction of the other lane so that every body will benefit.” He concluded.
