PICTORIAL: Obasanjo Commissions Bauchi's New ICC, Hails Initiative

Nigeria’s former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has pledged to accompany Governor Bala Mohammed anywhere in the world to attract investments for Bauchi State.

Obasanjo made the promise while commissioning the newly built Bauchi International Conference Centre (ICC) during the Bauchi Investment Summit on Wednesday.

The former President described the new ICC as a world-class facility capable of positioning Bauchi as a major hub for conferences, tourism, and economic activities in Nigeria.

“Some people don’t even have half of what we have here. We have a world-class centre that can be developed and made one of Nigeria’s prime tourist attractions. Visitors can stay in the hotels, hold conferences, interact, and make Bauchi a centre of attraction and tourism,” Obasanjo said.

“With what we have, we can show the world that we are part and parcel of global development. What others have and pride themselves on is not more than what we have here.

“We are not just commissioning this facility; we are launching a platform to mobilise local and international investments,” he added.

For his part, Governor Bala Mohammed said the Bauchi ICC represents a symbol of the people’s faith in what they can achieve together.

He also announced that the facility has been named after the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, in honour of his legacy of visionary leadership.

Highlighting Bauchi’s economic potential, Governor Mohammed pointed to the state’s abundant natural resources, adding that harnessing and processing them would expand value chains, create jobs, and drive sustainable development.

He stressed the importance of partnerships with local and international investors, built on fairness, mutual respect, and shared prosperity.

The governor further listed ongoing reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business in the state, including streamlined land registration, enhanced security, greater transparency, and strengthened anti-corruption mechanisms.

He assured that his administration was committed to creating a strong legal and institutional framework that safeguards investments and builds investor confidence.

The Bauchi Investment Summit, conceptualised and organised to review key components of the state’s economy, seeks to determine the contributions of various sectors to growth and explore new opportunities for integration into the national and global economy.

The summit, led by President Bola Tinubu, who is being represented by the vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, was attended by state governors, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, ambassadors, traditional rulers, investors from across the world, and other dignitaries.