The Sokoto Government has unveiled its economic development plan with an assurance to embark on massive infrastructure development to make the state an investment destination.
“Our efforts to transform the economy by making the environment private sector driven are already yielding many fruits among which include the attraction of the biggest fertilizer blending company in the world to Sokoto and the biggest rice mill by Alhaji Aliko Dangote,” Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki.
He disclosed this at the management retreat of Sokoto State Ministry of Finance held at the weekend in Lagos, a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Muhammad Bello disclosed.
Dasuki added: “In addition, we are advancing the ease of doing business in the state by making it easier for established businesses to scale and enabling new ones to spring up.”
He said the Sokoto State Government planned to utilize the loan of N65.7 billion it would raise to embark on massive infrastructural projects and investment in critical projects in agriculture, health, housing, and urban renewal projects, construction of roads and bridges as well as education.
The Commissioner was optimistic that the move would fast track the economic transformation of the state and position Sokoto as a leading economy in Nigeria and Africa.
He noted human capital development, remodeling of the state into an investment destination, as well as establishment of enduring socio-economic infrastructure and institutions as central to the objectives of the Governor Tambuwal administration.
The Commissioner asserted that the efforts of the government were already yielding fruits which he observed would in turn, translate to empowering families in the state and that the effects would trickle down to everyone.
“We have witnessed rapid growth of business enterprises as more organizations now have the capacity to meet more market needs, resulting in increased revenue and a more prosperous economy,” he stated.
He also revealed: “The Tambuwal administration has gone far in a social intervention program in which N4 billion has been set aside for distribution to indigenes of the state to enable them to engage in and enhance any business of their choice.
” In that regard, each and every indigene so selected got N 20,000 each. So far, the disbursement has been done in 9 out of the 23 local government areas of the state.”
Dasuki recalled that Governor Tambuwal administration had reformed the Payroll Systems which removed the ghost workers and helped Sokoto to implement the new minimum wage of N30, 000 for workers in the civil service.
He described spending in the education of the people as the greatest investment towards the attainment of a more prosperous future.
