PRESIDENT Muhammadu has expressed confidence that with the inauguration of the Dangote Fertiliser Plant, which has an installed capacity of 3.0 million metric tonnes of Urea per annum, Nigeria’s dependence on imported products in agriculture sector will soon be a thing of the past.
He made the declaration at the inauguration of the $2.5 billion plant in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State, on Tuesday.
The president said the plant would further advance Nigeria’s drive towards achieving self-sufficiency in food production, create jobs, increase the inflow of foreign exchange and accelerate economic growth.
He commended the chairman, board and management of Dangote Industries Limited for their business initiative in conceptualising and building the plant, the second largest in the world. Buhari similarly expressed confidence that the investment would replicate the Group’s earlier exploits in the cement sector, where Dangote Cement holds the enviable record as the continent’s largest cement producer, with footprints in 10 other African countries.
“This new plant is a renewed testament to the widely acknowledged patriotism of Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the leadership of Dangote Industries Limited.
It also demonstrates their commitment to the socio-economic development of our country and the well-being of our people.
“The Group’s investment in integrated cement plants, spanning the value chain from quarry to bagging, has effectively ended Nigeria’s dependence on imported cement products. “Along with the several other subsidiaries, Dangote Industries Limited has created thousands of jobs across Nigeria. It is the second biggest employer of labour in this country, after the Federal Government.
“This is very pleasing because job creation by private sector operators is vital to security, as it takes thousands of youths off the street,” he said.
The president spoke on other benefits of the plant, expressing delight that with the commencement of exports to other countries, including the United States, India and Brazil, Nigeria is already gaining in earnings of foreign exchange from the excess production and export from the plant.
He said many Nigerians who had hitherto practised subsistence farming because of the non-availability of necessary inputs could now take up agriculture as a business.
The president, therefore, reassured Nigerians that his government was focused on providing an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive, pledging continuity in improving infrastructure, power and security as well as enacting relevant laws and regulations to drive investments in the economy.
He commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), local and foreign commercial banks that supported Dangote to make the projects a reality.
After the inauguration, President Buhari inspected the 650,000 barrels per day petroleum refinery and 900,000 tonnes per annum polypropylene plant sited within the Dangote Free Trade Zone Complex.
In his remarks, Dangote said the fertiliser complex, which occupies 500 hectares and was built at a cost of $2.5 billion, would drastically reduce the level of unemployment and youth restiveness in the country, through the generation of direct and indirect employment.
He praised President Buhari for his sustained support and encouragement and for honouring the invitation, while he also commended the leaders and people of the host communities for providing a conducive environment for the project to thrive.
Buhari directs Amaechi to submit memo on rail line to Dangote firm
President Buhari has directed the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, to consult and bring up a memorandum to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, to link the facility with the railway network.
He expressed delight at the effort towards making the Lekki Deep Sea Port a reality. He disclosed this while inspecting the rate of work done at the first Deep Sea Port in Nigeria, located in Lagos Free Zone, 65km east of Lagos.
The tour lasted about 15 minutes and the president was joined by former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu; Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, among others. Speaking before the tour, Amaechi had explained that it was important that President Buhari inspected the project to aid its timely completion.
According to him, the purpose is for all to know that the government is building a seaport and the first deep seaport in the country.
He said he was looking forward to the project being commissioned by September, a reason the president came to speed the process up.
On the connection of Lekki port to rail, the minister said there were no funds for it as of now. “We don’t have money. If you give us money, we will build a railway here. As the minister of transportation, I don’t do roads. Building roads is the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Works and we will convey the fears of the owners of the port and the community to him. You need huge money for the road project and also the rail,” he said.
Amaechi hinted that plans were underway to relocate some communities to pave way for the expansion of the deep seaport.
“I want to have a conversation with the Lagos State governor on what will happen because we need to acquire all that land, which is about 1,000 hectares.” Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko, confirmed that the Lekki Deep Seaport, which had been under construction for years, would be ready for test-run in September, after which the first commercial visit could be received at the port.
Buhari inaugurates Lagos airport terminal building
President Buhari also on Monday instructed the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, to fast-track the concession of the four major airports across the country.
The president also ordered the minister of finance, budget and national planning to urgently source funds for immediate construction of the second runway at Abuja airport. According to Buhari, the concession of the four terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt will propel the development of the new terminals and create more jobs for qualified Nigerians. He disclosed this at the inauguration of the terminal building of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The terminal building has the capacity to process 14 million passengers per annum, 66 numbers of check-in counters, five numbers baggage collection carousels, 16 immigration desks at arrival, 28 desks at departure, eight security screening points and six-passenger boarding bridges with remote boarding and arrival.
Speaking on the chaos in the sector due to lack of Jet-A, the minister appealed to the president to direct the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to import Jet-Al in good quantities and devise means to sustain supply as well as directing CBN to allocate forex for the major marketers to sustain supply.
Sirika assured Nigerians that the ministry of aviation is “committed to the proper maintenance of all the terminal buildings and would integrate them with other infrastructure to ensure that passengers and other users have pleasant experiences each time they make use of them.”