Africa’s richest man and chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has applauded the Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri for creating a peaceful and stable environment that is attracting investors.
Dangote made the remark yesterday during a visit to the Government House in Yenagoa, where his company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government.
The agreement covers investments in key areas such as oilfield and gas development, agro-allied processing, seaport and infrastructure.
The visit was a follow-up to the governor’s visit to the Dangote Refinery in Lekki, Lagos in July 2024 and an earlier meeting between both parties in Nassau, Bahamas, during the AFREXIM annual meeting in June 2024.
Dangote expressed delight that work at his gas pipeline project in the state had been smooth and commended the state government for the cooperation. He described Bayelsa as naturally endowed and assured that his company would partner the state to create jobs and train youths.
He said his decision to invest in the state was borne out of a desire to show to the world that Bayelsa was safe for business.
He said: “As you know, when we met in Lagos, I promised to visit and today I am here to make sure that we partner, create jobs and train youths. You have no reason to complain about poverty because you have what it takes to make this state prosperous. The future of our group is now oil and gas.
“No foreign investor will come to our country if we do not lead the way. Our duty is not only to be in the field of oil and gas but also to encourage others. That is why I want to partner with Bayelsa to remove the fear of insecurity.
“We have the best of cooperation with all your officials on the Iseni project. It also shows your leadership style is paying off. So I thank you and all your officials for ensuring that our project is going on smoothly,” he said.
On the state’s economic potential, the Dangote Group chairman said developing the Agge Deep Seaport and the state’s gas potential would make Bayelsa prosperous.
“I am happy you mentioned the deep seaport. If you can have this with gas, Bayelsa will be the most prosperous state. On rice cultivation, we will work together and import very high-breed seeds. We will test the soil at our laboratory to be sure what kind of fertiliser to use.
“On infrastructure tax credit, you are right. But you will need to discuss with the president. Our company has over N1 trillion worth of infrastructure tax credit. Roads are built in record time. I think it will be good,” he said.
Earlier, Governor Douye Diri lauded Dangote for keeping to his promise to visit the state, saying it stood him out as a forthright businessman.
In a statement by the chief press secretary, Daniel Alabrah, Diri said Bayelsa was not only rich in oil and gas but also in natural resources, some of which had been tapped while others were waiting to be harnessed.
He expressed the optimism that the visit would positively impact the state, the Dangote Group as well as the federal government.
Describing Bayelsa as the country’s gas hub, Diri invited the Dangote Group to take advantage of the huge deposits as the world moves towards renewable energy. He said his administration had deployed technology to ensure effective peace and security with the installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras.
The governor highlighted areas of interest in the partnership with the Dangote Group to include development of the Agge Deep Seaport, gas processing plant, agro-allied processing with focus on the food sector and development of the oil processing field owned by the state.
Diri also stated that the government was interested in partnering on the infrastructure tax credit scheme of the federal government to develop the state’s infrastructure and promote economic prosperity.
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