From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The Gombe State Commissioner of Trade, Industry, and Tourism, Nasiru Muhammad Aliyu, has affirmed that Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and his team are consistently working to actualise the vision of transforming Gombe into an industrial state and a business hub for the Northeast region.
Mr. Aliyu notes that the state government has introduced various innovative initiatives towards achieving this end, including the establishment of an Industrial Park designed to attract investors, promote entrepreneurship, and create numerous job opportunities for the people of Gombe.
The commissioner who stated this in an exclusive interview with Daily Sun on Tuesday in his office, added that the government has also prioritised the improvement of the state’s infrastructure, such as the construction and rehabilitation of roads, bridges, and water supply, in addition to business-friendly policies to enable smooth operations of businesses and industries in the state.
Furthermore, the Commissioner highlighted the state’s immense potential in various sectors, such as agriculture, trade, solid minerals, and hospitality, which provide numerous investment opportunities for local and foreign investors.
According to Nasiru, the efforts being made by the state government to transform the state into an industrial and business hub have started yielding the desired results, with the signing of an investment commitment worth N70.5 billion between the government and investors from within and outside the country.
The commissioner also disclosed that other efforts and strategies being employed by the state government include the establishment of the Gombe State Investment Promotion Agency (GOSIPA) and the development of other sectors such as peace and security as well as the development of skilled and unskilled workers and markets for goods and services.
“We already have an international airport with about four kilometres of runway to accommodate any type of cargo for shipping and supply. Being at the centre of the northeastern states, we have succeeded in making Gombe the state for ease of doing business and Gombe state has been designated as a business-free zone, meaning factories and inventors can ship their goods and produce without hiccups or challenges of hectic paperwork,” Nasiru assured.
He announced that the state government working to organise the second phase of the Gombe State Investment Summit (GoInvest) for investors who missed the first summit that was held in October 2022. “Our GoInvest 2.0 will be coming in November this year, therefore, we are calling on investors who missed the first one, to attend the upcoming summit to explore potentials and investment opportunities in Gombe state,” Nasiru stated.