The President, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has urged local and foreign investors to invest more in the nation’s economy, because Nigeria offers good returns on investment.
Addressing a group of businessmen, who paid him a visit in his office, Dangote remarked that many investors whose businesses were thriving and doing well at present would have been discouraged if they had looked at the nation’s economic indices, which might not look good for investment.
He emphasised the need for the government and other investors to focus more on agriculture and manufacturing since oil, as the mainstay of the economy, was becoming unreliable.
A statement from the firm quoted Dangote as saying that following his unwavering faith in the economy, his company would invest more in Nigeria and create more jobs.
According to him, the economic development of the country rests more on the shoulders of the private sector operators, while the government’s strategic role is to provide a conducive environment by putting in place the right policies that will encourage the setting up of business outfits.
“It is only through the active involvement of the private sector that infrastructure deficit can be tracked and tackled by the government. Nigerians should also contribute their own quota by paying their taxes as part of their own respective contributions to the growth and development of the country,” he stated.
Dangote, who is a member of the committee recently set up by the government with the mandate to resettle Internally Displaced Persons as a result of insurgency in the North-East, stated that his foundation had been helping the vulnerable and disadvantaged women by disbursing money to help them start businesses that could impact positively on them and their immediate families.
Many states, according to him, have benefitted from the scheme, which costs the Dangote Foundation billions of naira annually.