Business mogul and chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has said Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri’s style of leadership has made the state a safe haven for investment.
Dangote, who is Africa’s richest man, spoke on Friday at Government House, Yenagoa, during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between his firm and the state government on investments in various sectors.
These include oilfield and gas development, agro-allied processing, seaport and infrastructure.
The visit was a follow-up to the governor’s visit to the Dangote Refinery in Lekki, Lagos in July 2024 and an earlier meeting between both parties at Nassau, The Bahamas, during the AFREXIM annual meeting in June 2024.
Dangote expressed delight that work at his gas pipeline project in the state had been smooth and commended the state government for the cooperation.
The business magnate described Bayelsa as naturally endowed and assured that his company will partner the state to create jobs and train youths.
He explained that his decision to invest in the state was borne out of a desire to show to the world that Bayelsa was safe for business.
He said: “As you know, when we met in Lagos, I promised to visit and today I am here to make sure that we partner, create jobs and train youths.
“You have no reason to complain about poverty because you have what it takes to make this state prosperous. The future of our group is now oil and gas.
“No foreign investor will come to our country if we do not lead the way. Our duty is not only to be in the field of oil and gas but also to encourage others. That is why I want to partner with Bayelsa to remove the fear of insecurity.
“We have the best of cooperation with all your officials on the Iseni project. It also shows your leadership style is paying off. So I thank you and all your officials for ensuring that our project is going on smoothly.”
On the state’s economic potential, the Dangote Group chairman said developing the Agge Deep Seaport and the state’s gas potential would make Bayelsa prosperous.
“I am happy you mentioned the deep seaport. If you can have this with gas, Bayelsa will be the most prosperous state.
“On rice cultivation, we will work together and import very high-breed seeds. We will test the soil at our laboratory to be sure what kind of fertiliser to use.
“On infrastructure tax credit, you are right. But you will need to discuss with the President. Our company has over one trillion naira worth of infrastructure tax credit. Roads are built in record time. I think it will be good.”
Earlier, Governor Douye Diri lauded Dangote for keeping to his promise to visit the state, saying it stood him out as a forthright businessman.
Senator Diri said Bayelsa was not only rich in oil and gas but also in natural resources, some of which had been tapped while others were waiting to be harnessed.
The Bayelsa governor expressed the optimism that the visit would positively impact the state, the Dangote Group as well as the Federal Goverment.
Describing Bayelsa as the country’s gas hub, Diri invited the Dangote Group to take advantage of the huge deposits as the world moves towards renewable energy.
He said his administration had deployed technology to ensure effective peace and security with the installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras.
The state’s helmsman highlighted areas of interest in the partnership with the Dangote Group to include development of the Agge Deep Seaport, gas processing plant, agro-allied processing with focus on the food sector and development of the oil processing field owned by the state.
Diri also stated that the government was interested in partnering on the infrastructure tax credit scheme of the federal government to develop the state’s infrastructure and promote economic prosperity.
His words: “This visit is divine even though we had earlier visited you in your factory. You said you were also going to reciprocate and today you have. That shows that you are a businessman who keeps his word.
“Bayelsa is known for its richness in oil and gas but beyond these, the state has abundance of natural resources. Some being tapped and some yet untapped.
“As you are aware, the world is moving away from oil to other renewable energy and gas. Bayelsa is the gas hub and there are so many areas you can collaborate with us.
“I want to propose the following areas. We are looking at expansion of your operations at Iseni. The state government is doing so much to maintain the peace. We have recently procured and installed CCTV cameras.
“We are also looking at the gas processing plant with the capability to supply neighbouring states. I again invite you to be part of this scheme.
“We want partnership in development of the Agge Deep Seaport. It will serve as a hub to a lot of states around us.
“We are looking at agro-alied processing, focusing on the food sector.
“The oil processing licence owned by the state, nothing has been done about it. We want to partner with you to develop it.”