By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has said it was in partnership with Dangote’s Obajana cement factory in order create over 35,000 jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the country.
It was noted the partnership with Obajana cement factory should result into over 11,000 direct jobs and 24,000 indirect jobs, making it one of the greatest employers of labour in the country.
The Minister of State for Mining and Steel Development, Mr Samson Ogar, made this disclosure while on an inspection tour of Dangote cement factory, Obajana in Kogi State on Thursday.
Mr Ogar said the present administration has decided to embark diversification from oil, which is currently having decline in price at the global market as a result of COVID-19. He said one of the ways of diversifying the economy was to look at other many sources available.
”With what is happening to oil in the international market, we can no longer rely only on oil as our source of revenue; there is a need to explore other avenues to shore up our earnings and create jobs opportunities to our teeming youths,” he said.
Speaking further, he said government was making efforts to curb illegal mining in order to generate more funds to carry out various developmental projects in the country.
“We are not saying that individuals cannot mine, but we are saying come and legitimise your business by obtaining a proper licence and don’t deny us legitimate revenue that would enhance income and provide jobs for our youths,” the Minister said.
He said in furtherance of this goal, the federal government was ready to give tax relief and other incentives to investors who are ready to invest in the country especially in the steel and mining sector.
According to him, this was one of the reasons for visiting the Dangote Cement factory, to explore an area of collaboration between the federal government and the private sector to see how they can assist them to increase productivity and enable them to employ more people.
In his remarks, the company’s Executive Director, Mr DVG Edwin, commended the Minister for the visit, describing it as first of its kind that a top government official would be visiting the plant, adding that the visit signifies a new beginning which the company will leverage on.
He said the cement factory, which is currently the second largest in the world, has four-line production outlet with the fifth being currently constructed and upon completion, will produce 16.3 metric tonnes a day from its current 13.5 metric tonnes which will see it as the biggest facility in the world.
Dipo Olowookere