Economic summit: Niger has capacity to feed Africa – Osinbajo

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday, said that Niger has the capacity to produce varieties of food crops that will feed the African continent.

Osinbajo said this while declaring open, a two-day Niger State Economic Submit with the theme “Impact Investment for Advancing Agricultural Economy and Innovation“, in Minna, the capital of the state.

The summit, which attracted economic experts, industrialists manufacturers as well as some state governors across the country, was organised to attract investors in various fields to boost the state’s economy.

The Acting President commended Governor Abubakar Bello for organising the conference, noting that it would assist in attracting various investors, especially in the agricultural sector.

Osinbajo called on state governments to assist farmers with alternative sources of power, to enable them to process and preserve their farm produce.

He said that the Federal Government was ready to partner with state governments willing to rehabilitate federal infrastructure in their areas.

“Niger State Government is collaborating with the Federal Government to complete Baro Port, ” the acting president said.

Osinbajo said that such projects would create enabling environment for business activities to thrive in the national economy.

He said that Niger was hosting three major hydro dams, adding that renewable energy was the way forward to increase the capacity of villagers and farmers for agricultural investment.

Osinbajo said there was also the need to improve on roads infrastructure for enhanced agricultural development in the state.

In his remark, Bello said that the state had large deposits of natural resources ranging from hydro carbon at the Bida Basin, gold, copper, tin, iron ore, tantalite, Kaoline and clay.

The governor noted that the potentials in the mining sector were wholly untapped and open for investment.
He added that there abounds tourism potential such as the Zuma Rock, Bark Empire Hills, Nagwamatse Well, Mongo Park Cenotaph and Gurara Waterfalls.

Bello said, already, the state government had developed a road map on some cardinal investment potentials in the state such as Banana free trade zone, Garam industrial park, Baron Port and Suleja New Smart City.

Mathew Dadiya, Abuja