From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr Abdullahi Sule, has urged the federal government to provide the enabling environment and desired infrastructure to assist private investors and industrialists operate smoothly.
Speaking on the sideline during a visit to Halibiz industries, Idu industrial area, Abuja, on Tuesday, the governor however assured that his administration will do everything possible to ensure that the industry set up additional facility in his state.
Asked how investors in private sector can be assisted to operate efficiently, he replied: “Coming from that sector, I don’t think there is much the private investors can do. Investors in Nigeria face the challenge of infrastructure.
“For the management of this company, because I was wondering how do they get the products out. Do they have the buyers coming here for the products or they have to deliver to them? You can see from the vehicles, he has to invest in that. You know there is no road. There is no good water.
“And because the road is not good, a lot of people will not want to put their trucks on the road. Another area is that of support. Before the company will grow and begins to make profit, he needs government support.
“The cost of production will be reduced if he has constant power supply, if he has good roads. That is why most of the companies in India, in China, are producing at a very low cost because the cost of energy is very little, their cost of labour is very little, and so many like that,” he quipped.
Asked how Nasarawa state could partner with Halibiz industries in specific terms, Governor Sule, said: “In a business like this, there are many ways to partner. First and foremost, he is somebody we admire. We appreciate him for the wonderful thing he has been doing by providing employment to Nigerians. That is our pride. He is a pride of Nasarawa state.
“If you know how the company started, it even makes us to be more proud that we have someone like this from Nasarawa state, doing something like this,” he noted.
Speaking further, he said: “There are several ways of partnering with someone like this. Government can actually invest in the business, that is one way of partnering. Government can have the opportunity of sitting down with him to say we need additional facility like this in Nasarawa State and he will set up additional facility there. That is one way of partnering. There are at least 10 to 15 ways of partnering in a business like this,” he said.
Earlier, President of the firm, a Quantity Surveyor, Adamu Aliyu, told the governor that his organisation has plan to establish one of the biggest store house to serve as gateway to Nasarawa, Benue and the South-east part of the country.
Aliyu, had also pleaded with the governor to partner with his company to see the reality of his initiatives which he said will provide jobs for several unemployed youths.