FG commends Dangote Group over sugar plantations development

Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has commended the Dangote Group for the huge investment in sugar plantation in the country, which would go a long way in creating employment opportunities to millions of Nigerians.
Sambo made this commendation today when the Dangote Group paid him a courtesy call in his office at the State House, Abuja.
The vice president also commended the group for its other laudable initiatives while promising government’s incentive to the private sector in the development of the Nigerian economy
The vice president also assured the Group of government’s incentive to the private sector in the development of the mining sector, particularly coal mining, adding that arrangements were being made to cancel the licences of under-performing miners while advertising same to the public to attract more serious investors.
While congratulating the Dangote Group on the plan to undertake concrete road projects, which he described as good as it would remove the problems associated with routine maintenance, he further assured the Group of government’s readiness to partner the private sector on Public Private Partnership arrangement in capital projects, especially in the areas of infrastructural development.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, disclosed that their firm had acquired about 260,000 hectres of land to develop sugar plantations in Adamawa and Taraba States, while plans were under way to acquire more in Bauchi and Yobe States on the completion of the Kafin Zaki Dam and that they were ready to partner government on a Public Private Partnership basis to ensure its realization.
Other states were Jigawa and Sokoto States, while about 56,000 hectares of land had also been acquired in Kebbi State and payment for compensation to those affected had commenced.
Fifty thousand hectares of land was also acquired in Kogi and Kwara States for the sugarcane plantation
According to Aliko Dangote Group, the sugar plantation was planned to produce about 1.5 million metric tonnes of sugar, ethanol, bio-compost and animal feeds and would generate about 360 mw of electricity, which was above the firm’s requirements.
The firm would require about 240 mw while the remaining 120 mw would be transferred to the national grid for distribution to the host communities
The firm also planned to establish Rice Plantation in Edo and Niger states. Already, it has acquired about 50,000 hectares of land in Niger state.
Dangote also disclosed that the Group was deeply interested in the development of the Nigerian mining sector.
Dangote pointed out that high profile mines in Nigeria had been licensed to those that do not possess the requisite capacity to develop them and the time frame given to develop them had since expired.
He added that the firm has entered into a partnership with Andre de Coulters, one of the leading companies responsible for about 44,000 mw about a third of Brazil’s power generation capacity.