Dangote to Invest U.S.$170Million in Rice, Sugar Production in Nasarawa

The Dangote Group of Company, yesterday in Lafia, says it will invest more than $170m in rice and sugarcane production in Nasarawa State.The President of Dangote, Aliko Dangote, disclosed this when he embarked on a working visit to the state to assess investment potentials.Dangote, represented by Abdullahi Sule, the group’s managing director of sugar production company, said that the company, apart from investing on rice and sugar, had mapped out plans to utilise the coal potentials of the state to generate power for its production.Dangote said that the state has over 300mn metric tonnes of untapped coal deposits, adding that the group would invest in the state to develop its commercial activities.He said that the company would utilise its 17,000 hectares of land for rice and sugarcane production in the state.Dangote said that the group was helping to diversify the country’s economy, adding that its investments in the state would be based in Obi, Awei and Doma local government areas.He said that the group’s investment in the state would offer job opportunity to 25,000 people.Speaking earlier, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, said that the state had devised more means of generating internally generated revenue and reduced its dependence on the federation account allocation.Al-Makura said that his government approached Dangote to invest in the state and boost its economic activities, adding that enabling environment would be created for the group to carry out its businesses.