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Dangote, Otedola, others, visited the president.
President Goodluck Jonathan says his administration will keep on implementing policies and measures that will continuously improve the operating environment for entrepreneurs and investors.
Speaking at an audience with Aliko Dangote, the President of the Dangote Group and other leading Nigerian investors and bankers, Jonathan said his administration was fully committed to progressively removing all major impediments to greater investment in Nigeria.
The President applauded plans by the Dangote Group to build Africa’s largest refinery, petrochemicals and fertiliser manufacturing complex in Nigeria.
He expressed gratitude to the consortium of banks providing a 3.3 billion-dollar credit facility for the project.
He also expressed the Federal Government’s appreciation of the support being given by Nigeria’s private sector to the implementation of his administration’s agenda for national transformation.
Mr. Jonathan noted, with delight, the Dangote Group’s massive investment in refining, petrochemicals and fertiliser production. He noted that such investment would contribute significantly to the attainment of government’s priority objective of job creation.
He, therefore, thanked him and the Chief Executives of the Nigerian banks that helped to finance the project for being patriotic and having the confidence to invest in their own country.
“We are pleased that you are now investing in refining, petrochemicals and fertiliser production.
‘‘It is the downstream sector of oil and gas that can really create many jobs. Your interest and investment in that area will help in the area of job creation which we have been emphasising.
‘‘You are also helping us to move away from being a mere producer of raw materials by adding value to our natural resources,” he said
Mr. Dangote, who led the team from his company, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, and Nigeria’s leading banks, had earlier told the President that they were at the Presidential Villa to thank him for his administration’s policies which had greatly encouraged further investments in Nigeria.
“Your policies have helped us greatly. Without them, we will not be where we are today.”
According to him, the refining, petrochemicals and fertiliser complex planned by his Group will make Nigeria a net exporter of petroleum products, including diesel and aviation fuel, as well as poly-propylene and fertiliser.
Mr. Dangote, who came on the visit after the signing of the loan agreements for the complex, was accompanied by chief executives of participating banks.
The banks include First Bank of Nigeria, UBA, Stanbic-IBTC, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, Ecobank, Fidelity Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank and Rand Merchant Bank.
Mr. Dangote described the signing of the financial support agreement as a milestone in the industrialisation of Nigeria.
“It shows that there’s great confidence in the Nigerian economy and quite a lot of appetite for investment in our country,” he said.
Others on the delegation included Kola Jamodu, Femi Otedola, Jim Ovia, and management executives of the Dangote Group.
(NAN)
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