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From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Edo State based Chinese firm, Yongxing Steel Company, has called on foreign investors to take advantage of Nigeria’s growing economy to invest in the country.
Its Managing Director, Frank Wang, at a media briefing at the company’s premises at Ogua village, near Benin, said the firm had so far created 700 direct employment and 10,000 indirect jobs for Nigerians.
He said investors who were hesitant in investing in the Nigerian economy at this period, stood to lose and regret such stance in the future, given the potential in the nation’s construction industry.
Wang expressed the firm’s willingness to support the country, adding that ongoing challenges in Nigeria were not enough reasons for investors not to take advantage of its huge population and growing economy to invest.
“I want to use this opportunity to encourage other foreign investors not to run away from Nigeria. There is no economy that does not have difficulties. Our duty is to support the nation in her efforts to surmount those difficulties. Those of us in the construction sector, we need to be more patient with Nigeria. Nigeria is a growing economy and will continue to grow. With the huge infrastructural gap in the country, the construction sector will continue to grow and any foreign investor in that sector is not likely to regret at the end,” he said.
Wang, represented by the company’s spokesman, Mr, Ben Den, said the firm’s waste-to-wealth programme had created hundreds of employment opportunities while also ensuring a cleaner environment.
Drama however ensued when two factions of the company’s workers expressed divergent views on the issue of unionism.
Vice President, Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria, Emos Iorsang, alleged the company was maltreating workers.
Another staff, Mustapha Mohammed, however said they don’t want unionism because everything they needed was provided by the company.
However, Kassim Kadiri, National Secretary of National Union of Steel and Engineering Workers of Nigeria, said Edo Governor, Godwin Obaseki has set up a committee to look into the issue of unionism in the company.
