By Correspondent in Minna
Besides security challenges besetting development in Niger state, Coalition of Business and Professional Association (NICOBPA) has identified lack of industrial growth and development epileptic electricity supply, bad roads unfriendly govt policy as some of the factors responsible for the industral stagnation of the 45-year-old state.
The Chairman of the Coalition, Alhaji Mohammed Mukhtar Lawal who stated this while briefing journalists in Minna, expressed concern that,nothing much had been done to set the state on the path of industrialisation.
NICOBPA also mentioned multitple taxation, lack of access to credit facilities as hindrances making the state to crawl in industral growth and development.
The coalition advised the state government to to fix the roads linking the various parts of the state,such as the Minna-Suleja and Minna-Bida roads which he described as the worst affected, adding they constitute contributory factors discouraging investors from investing in any part of the state.
He noted that though work had commenced on the construction of the roads but being executed at snail pace, adding that the body language of the state government had shown no serious commitment to attaining desired industrial goal.
Lawal said:”Entrepreneurs cannot wait for eternity for the state government to put right infrastructure, hence the preference for places where security is guaranteed and social amenities readily available”.
Lawal, who described good road networks as critical to the industrial growth and development of any society said the coalition had dialogued with the state government, on insecurity and got assurances that ‘something is being done’.
He, however, expressed regret that things had gone from bad to worse since the interface with the state Governor, especially in rural areas.
“Nobody will want to invest his resources where there are security uncertainties.”he stressed.
Lawal, who commended the Governor Sani Bello led administration for the recent steps toward checking insecurity, especially the ban on the operation of commercial motorcycles within Minna, the state capital he said ‘we in the Coalition are waiting on the government to avail us of the gains of this policy’.
He noted that the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) had not been able to guarantee stable power supply to many businesses and homes.
According to him,electricity supply to virtually all parts of the state has dropped to as low as 2 hours daily with some areas left in darkness for over a year, a development he said had made many businesses to resort to alternative energy source with the attendant increase their cost of production.
He advised the state government to realise efforts aimed at ending multiple taxations to motivate most members and intending industrialists from considering setting up industries in the state.
