Dangote Upbeat On Nigeria Economic Potential
SAN FRANCISCO, April 22, (THEWILL) - The present challenges facing the country notwithstanding, the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has reassured of more investments in the country just as he stressed his unwavering faith in the nation’s economy.
Dangote who spoke at weekend when a group of entrepreneurs visited him in his office in Lagos, urged Nigerians not to be discouraged by various challenges facing the nation saying they are necessary steps needed for the nation to rank among the best industrially in years to come.
Just last week during a breakfast session with media Chiefs on the occasion of his 56th birthday, he had disclosed that his Group was almost through with preparations for the establishment of a refinery saying there is no alternative to establishment of industries if jobs are to be created.
The assurance came even as he said that all his investments would be tailored towards job creation for gainful employment so as to alleviate poverty among the people.
Dangote who is a member of the National Economic Management Team stated that what Nigerians need most presently is economic empowerment and that it is only a working population whether self-employed or engaged could be economically empowered.
He explained that economic development of the country rests more on the shoulders of the private sector operators which government’s strategic role is to ensure conducive environment is provided by putting in place right policies that will encourage setting up of businesses.
Dangote noted that the situation in Nigeria is such that said all hands must be on deck to ensure the dream of Nigeria’s economic turn-around becomes a reality.
He therefore urged that local investors should complement the efforts of the federal government at ensuring the success of the economic agenda by delving to manufacturing as one of the means of empowering Nigerians through job creation.
The Group President then advised that local businessmen should take the advantage of abundant opportunities in the country to invest in employment generating businesses to empower Nigerians
He promised that he would do all within his power to ensure that any investment he makes is job creation focused and urged other investors to do same for the nation to be where it ought to be 2020.
The business mogul noted that it was only through the active involvement of the private sector that the areas of infrastructure deficit could be tracked and tackled by government adding that all countries of the world whose economy have made appreciable impact on the citizenry have done so through manufacturing.
To buttress his position, Dangote referred to a report published last August by the renowned Global Consulting firm, McKinsey on the economic potentials in Nigeria and a host of other African countries.
Said he; “the McKensey report is very instructive, it says that half of the 30 million jobs in African manufacturing offer wage paying employment, a higher share than most sectors. If current projections for manufacturing value-added growth hold, it is estimated that that the sector will create eight million more stable jobs by 2020.”
According to him the transformation agenda of the Federal Government will perfectly key into projection of the report if the private sector participate effectively in the economic turn-around measures.