Mohammad Bello, FCT Minister
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello, says the Territory is open for business.
Bello said this while addressing participants and investors at the inauguration of 12th Abuja International Trade Fair on Friday in Abuja.
According to him, recent completion works in major Abuja infrastructure networks have opened up Abuja for investment and tourism.
The minister, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Finance and Economic Matters, Dr Bala Liman, described the private sector as the engine for sustainable economic growth.
He said that his Administration was collaborating with relevant stakeholders to explore the great potentials of the Territory in the minerals sector.
The Administration, he noted, was also implementing the National Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) aimed at integrating the agriculture value chain and focusing on agro-processing and industrial hubs.
“We are working to provide the enabling environment for investments, trades and entrepreneurship to thrive. Major aspects of this initiative include efforts to eliminate cases of multiple taxation and leveraging technology to improve our business processes.
“The FCT Administration is also partnering with IBM to deploy ICT for a one-stop shopping centre for collection, monitoring and evaluation of payments to FCT’s main revenue generating agencies.
“The digital infrastructure to be established would block revenue leakages, track customer payments, assist in obtaining feedback as well as enable citizen/customer engagement,’’ he said.
Bello reiterated his hope that the FCT light rail transport would open for public services in December.
“Airport business travelers would have a choice, either to board cabs on arrival or departure; or ride on trains from the airport railway station to the Central Business District Central Station or vice versa,’’ he said.
The minister said that FCT was already working to promote Ease of Doing Business in the Territory, adding that it was part of the efforts of Mr President to improve Nigeria’s standing on the World Bank Ease of Doing Business scale.
He, therefore, invited investors to take advantage of the favourable investment climate of Abuja to invest there.
The President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ABUCCIMA), Mr Tony Ejinkoye, said the Fair served as a platform for companies and individuals to showcase and demonstrate their products and services.
Ejinkoye, who was represented by the in-coming President of the chamber, Prince Adetokumbo Kayode, called on the present administration to sustain current efforts to diversify the nation’s economy.
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