Nigerian Indigenous cement company Residence Cement Company will establish a cement factory in the Gwana district of Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state in the first quarter of next year.
The State Governor, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, disclosed that Residence Cement Factory has resolved to invest $1.5 billion in establishing the Gwana cement factory, which would commence in the first quarter of next year, 2025.
Shortly after the MoU signing ceremony between the state government and Residence Cement Company over the weekend, Governor Bala Mohammed said that the Gwana proposed factory can produce 10 million tons of cement annually.
The Governor, who described the Residence Cement Company as one of the country’s major investors, also revealed that it would provide 100 megawatts of electricity, construct a water dam, build a trailer park, construct housing units, and provide other social amenities in the area.
Senator Bala Mohammed further stated that the Bauchi state government is to construct a bridge at a cost of over N5 billion to link it to the factory site for easy transportation.
“This landmark memorandum of understanding shows that in Bauchi state, our ease of doing business has reached a level that even if we are not accessible, we know that we are doing very well”.
He commended the people of Gwana district and Alkaleri LGA, the State Ministry of Natural Resources, and the resilience and interest of the Residence Cement Company’s management and staff for their show of purposefulness, synergy, and focus.
“Today, we have become one state that has access to the biggest investment destination in the country, attributable to what we collectively stood up to do as a government and as a movement”, he said.
He expressed gratitude to the company managing director, Dr Abbas Junaid Waziri, for his resilience and interest in Bauchi state, saying Bauchi is an extension of Sokoto, which is the domicile of Junaid Waziri, assuring of no incumbrances or community problems in the project.
“We have also deepened the community engagement and set up a committee under the leadership of the Secretary to the State Government and all the line ministries involved to make both sides stand out firmly on the line”.
Senator Bala attributed the non-workability of business in Nigeria to deep-seated personal and selfish interests, assuring that Bauchi would do it differently and in a manner that would not encumber the company by putting so much interest into it.
“We assure you of looking into the local content within the next four weeks. We are glad that the company is ready to give shares to the state government, some indigenous people, and the community. So, what else are we looking for, even before we ask? You have given us,” he said.
According to him, when the Kolmani oil well is being folded, Bauchi will not allow community squabbles or personal interests to encumber the ease of doing business.
“We are looking forward to the successful execution of this project, first by signing a concrete legal agreement after this MoU as soon as possible. We will always have a committee engaging you, and you will find us willing partners.”
He called on the people to leverage and position themselves because the Gwana cement factory would create over 3,000 businesses and other employment opportunities.
Senator Bala Mohammed explained that establishing the oil and gas academy in Alkaleri encourages inputting about N6 billion in that course, and the skills required will also be created.
“Right away, you are ready to train about 100 Bauchi indigenes to learn Chinese, the new language in the universe, so that we can communicate at the end of the day”.
Mohammed directed the committee to interview young people to select those for the training in China. He said Chinese technology will be brought to Bauchi as part of the project’s execution.
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