Niger Government to Focus on Developing Free Zones to Woo Investors

The Niger Government on Tuesday said it would focus more on developing the free trade zones in the state to attract more investors to the state.

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, who disclosed this when he declared open the 14th Niger National Trade Fair, said that the zones were those of Banana in Borgu Local Government Area and Minna Airport trade zones.

According to Sani, the free trade zones will woo investors to invest in agriculture and solid mineral development.

He said that his administration would embark on new partnership with the Federal Government and private sector to enhance economic development of the state.

“We are going to revisit every legal avenue for the diversification of revenue and resources; we will explore and strengthen all existing agencies. In this hard time, it is necessary to pursue vigorously the agriculture sector that has the capacity to create wealth and generate employment.

We will make use of all agencies saddled with the responsibility of packaging business opportunity to the local and international investors. The agencies will assist investors to expand their businesses in the state,” he said.

Bello said that the state government would put adequate infrastructure that would attract investors and enhance their confidence to bring in their businesses to the state.

Rahmatu Yar’adua, the state Commissioner for Trade and Investment, said the fall in the price of oil at the international market had created the need for economic diversification of the country and state.

She said for the state to improve on its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), government would harness all ITS alternative revenue generation sectors to boost its revenue profile.

Bawa Bwari, the Minister of State for Solid Minerals, called for the collaboration of the private sector to focus on agriculture to improve wealth and job creation.

“It is no longer news that Nigeria has based its revenue generation on crude oil which has collapsed. It is time to develop our agriculture sector as we cannot longer depend on oil,” said the minister.