Tambuwal assures 100% returns on $13m fertiliser blending plant

Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has assured OCP Africa Fertilisers Nigeria Ltd. of 100 per cent returns on the 13 million dollars fertiliser blending plant being set up in the state.

The governor gave the assurance on Tuesday when he visited the construction site of the company.

It was reported that the plant which is expected to begin operations in 2021 has capacity to produce 200,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser annually.

“The contract will enable the company recoup its investment in the project designated as an agricultural centre of excellence within the first year of its operation.

“This gesture is part of the administration’s objectives to attract genuine local and foreign investors to the state,” Tambuwal said.

The governor listed incentives for companies willing to invest in the state to include provision of infrastructural facilities at industrial layouts, easy access to land, tax holidays and joint venture partnership.

“OCP Africa has started benefitting from the state government’s incentives with the granting of a piece of 10 hectares land and its certified title deed to it by the state government in less than 24 hours last year.

“My administration’s drive in this direction is to the fact that countries of the world are gradually gravitating towards non-oil revenues.

“We will not relent in our effort to move Sokoto state forward for sustainable development in all sectors.

“The state government determination is not only to promote but improve agricultural production for food sufficiency and promotion of agricultural businesses,’’ he said.

According to him, Sokoto state has the largest deposit of high quality phosphate in Nigeria, which makes the establishment of the plant a big step to making fertiliser readily available and affordable to all farmers in the state and the northern region.

The Deputy Managing Director of OCP, Mr Caleb Usoh, said the company would serve as a centre of training for fertiliser manufacturers, farmers and other stakeholders in the agricultural value chain.

He said facilities at the plant include modern NPK fertiliser blending equipment, process building, warehouse, administrative building and trailer park among others

Meanwhile, a Sokoto-based industrialist, Alhaji Nura Attajidi, has commended the state government for facilitating the establishment of the fertiliser blending plant in the state.

Attajidi, who is the Chairman of the state chapter of Small and Medium Scale Rice Millers, made the commendation in an interview with our reporter in Sokoto.

He said the plant, when completed, would boost agricultural production, employment and commercial activities across the state.

Attajidi appealed to the state government to ensure that residents in the plant’s immediate communities were employed to forestall any form of restiveness.

Also, Alhaji Ibrahim Salihu, the Sokoto state Chairman of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), told our reporter that the establishment of the plant would enable farmers in the state to have easy access to fertiliser.