News Investigators/ Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has called on investors to explore investment opportunities in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, renewable energy and manufacturing in the state.
Mr Zulum made the call at the opening of the Borno Private Sector Engagement and Investment Roundtable on Monday in Kano.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Babagana Malumbe, he said the engagement was aimed at showcasing Borno’s recovery from insurgency and readiness for sustainable economic development.
He said more than 80 per cent of the state’s population engaged in agriculture, creating opportunities for investment in agricultural production, livestock development and fisheries.
Mr Zulum said the state also had significant potential in solar energy and manufacturing, adding that products manufactured in Borno could access markets in neighbouring countries.
He said the government was working to change the perception of Borno from a state associated with humanitarian challenges to one focused on recovery, economic growth and sustainable development.
“That is why we are here to inform people that we have moved from humanitarian intervention to recovery, and now we are working towards sustainability,” he said.
The governor urged prospective investors to visit the state and assess improvements in its security situation, adding that the government was committed to creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
Earlier, Mairo Mandara, the state’s Chief Adviser and Coordinator on Sustainable Development Partnerships, said Borno was seeking private-sector investment in agriculture, livestock, sustainable energy, housing and hospitality.
She said the state had comparative advantages in agriculture and livestock, particularly groundnuts and beans, offering opportunities for processing industries and value addition.
Mrs Mandara also said Borno, with over seven million people, had access to a wider market of more than 50 million people in the Lake Chad region.
She further said that the government wanted investors to establish processing industries rather than export raw materials.
“We do not want to remain producers of raw materials; we want to become processors of everything we produce,” she said.
Mrs Mandara added that the government envisaged the state becoming a major commercial and trade hub in the Lake Chad region within the next five to 10 years.
She revealed that the state had developed a 25-year Recovery and Development Plan, which was being institutionalised through legislation to ensure policy continuity and protect investors’ interests.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Borno Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (BOCCIMA), Goni Dunoma, said the state offered investment opportunities in solar energy development, solid mineral exploration, agricultural production and agro-processing.
He identified limestone, gypsum, kaolin, clay and bentonite among the mineral resources available for exploitation.
He added that the sectors offered opportunities for private-sector investors to establish industries, promote local production and create employment.
Mr Dunoma said investment in agriculture and agro-processing would also enhance value addition to local products, strengthen the state’s economy and expand opportunities for trade and industrial development.
NAN