Niger dismisses fears of bandits attack on investors

The Niger State Government has dispelled fears of bandits attacking investors that are engaged with the state in Public Private Partnership.

The government was reacting to PUNCH report of 600 residents being displaced by bandits attacks saying that the locations where both foreign and local investors do business are more than six hours from where the bandits operate.

The Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment Suleiman Takuma, made this known on Tuesday while fielding questions from journalists during a press conference ahead of a Nigeria Public Private Partnership Network Meeting held in Minna, Niger State.

The Commissioner spoke on the efforts of the governor, Mohammed Bago, to change the face of Niger State through his New Niger project and assured prospective investors that banditry in the State will not get anywhere close to where they would be investing.

“When we say we want investors to come into Niger State as a preferred destination we want them to know that the governor is putting the right infrastructure in place, including roads, rail and light. The governor has flagged off road construction and they are being done under the PPP.

“I read the report of 600 people moving away from their communities because of banditry. Banditry is a thing that has happened in many countries around the world. Investors, particularly foreign investors, when they read that something has happened in Niger the first thing we do is a comparative analysis.  To drive from one end of Niger State to another end of Niger State will take about six hours more than Belgium to Turkey, or let’s say, Italy to France.

“Put them together and they are not as long as Niger. When we give them that comparative analysis because there is an issue of banditry at the border which is like six hours drive from where we are asking them to invest.

“Now these communities that residents are running away from would agree with me that it is because of it that Governor Mohammed Bago has created a ministry of Normadic and they are doing a great job. When investors read about people moving away because of bandits, immediately they’ll call and we will tell them how far from the place where they are investing,” Takumu said.

On the network meeting the commissioner said, “This meeting is a testament to our commitment to fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors. By working together, we can ensure the delivery of essential infrastructure that supports food security and stimulates economic growth”.

The governor’s Special Adviser on PPP, Jonathan Vatsa threw light on the network meeting saying the event which holds 26 and 27th June, “will bring together leaders from both the public and private sectors to explore innovative ways to leverage Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) “to advance our national objectives of food security and economic growth”.