Leadership (Abuja)
Rilwanu Shehu
12 November 2008
analysis
The award of the Most Investment-Friendly State conferred on the governor of Bauchi State by the World Bank, the investment potential of the state and the relentless effort of the governor to harness them for the development of the state have brought an unprecedented accolade to his person and the State in general.
The state, which was created in 1976 and occupies a total land area of 49,259.01 sq. km with a population of 2,826,444, is indeed endowed with abundant natural resources that serve as viable sources of investment. In terms of vegetation, it is one of the states in the northern part of the country that spans two vegetation zones, namely, the Sudan Savannah and the Sahel Savannah. The vegetation, which is richer towards the southern part of the state, is watered by a number of rivers, including the Gongola and Jama'are rivers. The Gongola River crosses the state through Alkaleri Local Government area in the eastern part, while the Jama'are River cuts across a number of Local Government areas, providing suitable lands for agricultural activities. There are also lakes like the Maladumba Lake in Misau and earth dams like Gubi Dam and Tilden Fulani Dam. In addition, the state is blessed with adequate rainfall. The average rainfall of 700mm to 1300mm per annum complements the other enumerated sources of water in a way that supports the production of a large number of crops, especially with the recent emergence of early maturing varieties of traditional crops in the state.
The major crops found in the southern part of the state are millet, maize, guinea corn, rice, groundnut, cowpea, cotton and sugar cane. And in the northern part, characterized by the semi-desert vegetation type, animal husbandry, especially cattle rearing and the production of goats and poultry, are the dominant activities in addition to cereal crop farming. In fact, it is estimated that 65% of the total land area of the state is cultivable. It is no wonder, therefore, the state is popularly known as the food basket of the nation.
In order to boost and harness these natural endowments towards creating investment opportunities, the state government has embarked on a number of agro-industrial related projects. It has constructed two dams, one for the supply of drinking water to Bauchi metropolis and the other for the irrigation of numerous farms across the state. The third dam, which is under construction, is the largest and can generate electricity in addition to irrigation and fish farming. The Yuguda administration is working round the clock to ensure that work on the dam is completed and all the dams are functioning well to fulfil the objective for which they were built.
The administration has also continued to use the World Bank assisted Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) to expose its largely subsistence farmers to modern agricultural practices. Consequently, the state currently produces surplus quantities of crops for industrial purposes. These include cereals like millet, maize, rice, sorghum and wheat for the establishment of millet flour, rice milling, maize flour, animal feeds and cornflakes. Crops like cowpea, groundnut, soya beans, cotton, ginger and sugarcane also provide raw materials for spinning mills, textiles, oil extraction and sugar factory.
Mineral recourses are very important source of investment and economic development. Bauchi State is highly endowed in this regard. It is blessed with untapped mineral resources that could be broadly classified into metallic and non-metallic. Some are industrial minerals and rocks, some are metallic ores while others are gemstones and energy or fuel minerals. In the area of industrial minerals and rock, the state is endowed with clay, quartz, kaolin, silica sand, granite etc.
The state is further blessed with petroleum related deposits. Already Shell Nigeria Limited is engaged in exploration drilling for oil and gas in the state. Also, Chevron Nigeria Limited is set to engage in similar exercise. With these developments, opportunities abound for the setting up of oil companies in the state.
In addition to agricultural and mineral potential, Bauchi State is endowed with a wide variety of tourism potential. The state, which is popularly referred to as "the pearl of Tourism in the Nigerian sun", has in abundance geographical and historical sites capable of attracting tourists from all over the world. The major sites range from Lame Burra Game Reserve to Yankari National Park. There are also historical sites like the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Tomb, Babban Gwani in the Emir's palace, Bauchi, Rock Paintings in Rimin Jigawa and Geji, Black Stone in Tafawa Balewa etc. There are also annual festivals that showcase the cultures of the people. The festivals include Amayan, Bala Ball ama, Inwarbada and Gaza.
Due to the location of the state, it is characterised by a variety of beautiful landscapes. And some of them have been harnessed towards leisure and recreational purposes. The Wikki Warm Spring, Maladumba Lake, Gidi Dam and Ruwan Kirchi are among the numerous tourism bounties in the state.
In its efforts to use all these natural endowments for industrial development and creation of investment opportunities, the state government has over the years developed viable industrial and tourism policy and infrastructure.
The industrial policy is tailored in line with the National Policy but with minor modifications to suit the business environment of the state. Its cardinal objective is the attraction of investors through the creation of investment-friendly environment.
The state equally has in place infrastructural facilities needed for the development of the agricultural, industrial and tourism sectors. Industrial estates have been developed in all urban and semi-urban areas of the state and they are provided with access roads, electricity, telecommunication facilities and water. In order to further attract investors, the state government intends to provide land to any interested investor under its land liberation policy.
In view of the fact that transportation is central to any meaningful investment drive, the state government has as well ensured that every aspect of transportation is given maximum attention. Apart from road constructions, it has built two airstrips in Bauchi and Azare for use by light weight aircrafts. The state is in addition serviced by a railway line, which is used for conveying goods and services to the seaport of Lagos and Port Harcourt.
In the specific case of the tourism sector, the state government has done a lot and is planning to do more. To ensure visitors comfort and wellbeing, it has built multi-rated 5 star hotels such as Zaranda, Awalah and Obuna Royal hotels. And it is currently encouraging investors to manage the state hotels such as the ones located in Bauchi, Azare, Ninji, Jama'are and Misau. The hotels, which were established by the Bauchi State Board in 1984, became self-sustaining in 1995. And since then it hardly generates enough revenue to pay salaries and wages and to maintain a standard hotel business. In view of this deplorable condition, the state government is considering the involvement of private sector in managing the hotels.
Another area of investment being considered by the Yuguda administration is the development of the game reserves in the state, such as the Lame Burra Game Reserve and the Yankari National Park. The areas of focus in this regard are the insfrastructural improvement, electrification and road networks. The administration intends to provide additional chalets, refurbish the chalets to international standard and replace obsolete equipment. It also intends to complete the project on the electricity grid to the game reserves to provide 24 hours electric power, by engaging the services of a German firm, to established a 100 capacity megawatts Gas turbine plant, which is to serve as an Independent Power Plant rehabilitate the road to the Wikki camp and construct game viewing tracts.
Based on the understanding that industrial and tourism development and investment generation cannnot be realised in the absence of relevant institutions to coordinate the various sectors, Bauchi State government has put in place formidable administrative and educational institutions. They include the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives and Tourism Development, Bauchi Sate Investment Corporation, Directorate of Small-Scale Industries and educational institutions like the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Federal Polytechnic Bauchi and Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic. To this end, the Federal Government has recently approved the establishment of College of Health and Teaching Hospital in the State.
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