Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has commended the Dangote Group for the huge investment in sugar plantation in the country which would go a long way in creating employment opportunities to millions of Nigerians.
Sambo made this commendation Tuesday when the Dangote Group paid him a courtesy call in his office at the State House, Abuja.
He also commended the group for its other laudable initiatives while promising government’s incentive to the private sector in the development of the Nigerian economy
The Vice President also assured of government’s incentive to the private sector in the development of the mining sector particularly in coal mining adding that arrangements were been made to cancel the licenses of underperforming miners while advertising same to the public to attract more serious investors.
While congratulating Dangote Group on the plan to undertake Concrete Road projects which he described as good as it would remove the problems associated with routine maintenance, he further assured the Group of governments readiness to partner the private sector on A Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement in capital projects especially in the areas of infrastructural development.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote disclosed that thefirm had acquired about 260,000 hectres of land to develop sugar plantations in Adamawa and Taraba states while plans were under way to acquire more in Bauchi and Yobe states on the completion of the Kafin Zaki Dam and that they were ready to partner government on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis to ensure its realization. Other states were Jigawa and Sokoto states while about 56,000 hectares of land had also been acquired in Kebbi state and payment for compensation to those affected had commenced. 50,000 hectares of land was also acquired in Kogi and Kwara state for the sugarcane plantation
According to Aliko Dangote Group, the sugar plantation was planned to produce about 1.5million metric tonnes of sugar, Ethanol, bio-compost and animal feeds and would generate about 360mw which was above the firm’s requirements. The firm would require about 240mw while the remaining 120mw would be transferred to the national grid for distribution to the host communities
The firm also planned to establish Rice Plantation in Edo and Niger states. Already, it has acquired about 50,000 hectares of land in Niger state.
Chairman Dangote Group Aliko Dangote has also disclosed that the Group was deeply interested in the development of the Nigerian mining sector.
Aliko Dangote pointed out that high profile mines in Nigeria had been licensed to those that do not possess the requisite capacity to develop them and the time frame given to develop them had since expired. He added that the firm has entered into a partnership with Andre de Coulters one of the leading companies responsible for about 44,000mw about a third of Brazil’s power generation capacity.
