In what seems to be a direct consequence of
Alaghodaro investment summit held in November by the Edo State Government aimed
at attracting investment to the state, the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki,
on Thursday inaugurated Rongsheng Glass Nigeria Limited in Benin City.
Obaseki, during the inauguration ceremony at the
factory site in Utesi Village by Benin by-pass, Ikpoba Okha Local Government
Area, said 70 per cent of building materials needed to meet Nigeria’s 20
million units housing deficit can be sourced from factories in Utesi Village,
which hosts a cluster of industries.
Noting that the village has become a hub for
building materials manufacturing, Obaseki said: “From steel to ceramics, glass
and aluminum roofing sheets, the materials required for building houses are
being made in Edo State.
“There is a pressing need for low-cost housing in
Nigeria. We need more than 20 million units to address the housing deficit, and
then one considers these industries we have in Utesi community, it is easy to
agree that the state is ready to provide Nigeria with materials to solve this
problem,” he added.
Obaseki said government reforms to open up the
business space and the presence of human resources to drive investment have
attracted local and foreign companies, who will create jobs, engage youths and
create wealth for the state.
“The government has taken serious steps to create
the enabling environment for investors like Rongsheng to invest in the state
and contribute to its development as well as provide jobs for the people.”
The governor said his administration does not want
to be directly involved in running businesses, but to facilitate investment,
support investors and create a peaceful and secure environment to get the state
to become productive.
“We urge companies located in this area to ensure
they maintain good community relations with the host community to ensure that
peace reigns and propel development,” he stressed.
Obaseki also tasked the company with human capital
development, urging them to build schools as well as a Chinese Cultural Centre
to teach the Chinese language and culture to strengthen cultural ties with
their host community.
The state Commissioner for Cooperatives, Employment
and Wealth Creation, Hon. Emmanuel Usoh, said the state is now a haven for
investors as the Obaseki-led administration has worked to create an enabling
environment for businesses to thrive.
He added that the state is a gate-way to other
parts of the country, urging investors to cash in on to the availability of
resources and logistics advantage to invest in the state.
Speaking at the occasion, the Managing Director,
Rongsheng Glass Nigeria Limited, Huang Shibin, thanked the governor, the local
community and the people of the state for the conducive environment for their
operations.
“We will
ensure we develop and sustain good relationship with the people of the
community and state to sustain peace, development and growth,” he said.
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