Foreign firms showing interest in Niger, says gov

The Niger State Government has disclosed that foreign investors are willing to invest in the state under the public-private partnership arrangement.

Governor Mohammed Bago said the state has received requests from investors from Italy, Egypt, South Africa, the USA, and other countries showing interest in renewable energy, agriculture, the health sector, and roads, among others.

The governor’s Special Adviser on Public-Private Partnership, Jonathan Vatsa, made this known on Thursday during a media parley in which he said the state government would actualise most of the projects in the New Niger Agenda through the PPP.

He said, “I can assure you that since I resumed this office, we have received more than six applications. One of them I would like to discuss with you is very interesting. This company is all the way from Italy.

“They are coming for renewable energy and this is something we should grab as a state. By the time these people come and we agree with them, then there is going to be competition in the power sector. NEPA has a monopoly.

“We are discussing with them; we identify communities where we can start. Let me give you an example. In my local government, if you go to Lapai, then go down to Gupa; in that community, for more than twenty years, they haven’t had light.

“So if you have people ready to partner with you on renewable energy, they’ll go there and set up their solar panels, and the whole community will be lit up. Why can’t we embrace it? And the only way we can achieve that is through PPP. Most of the activities of the Niger State government will be driven by the PPP.”

Vasta further disclosed that the state will be a beneficiary of 500 CNG buses through a PPP arrangement, as we’ll have fleets of tractors for farming.

According to him, the private partners would provide the buses and operate them, while the state government would give them a guarantee.

“PPP is a very good venture that the government can use to bring development to their people, and if any government must succeed the way the economy is going globally, it must be through PPP, and that is what we have resolved.

“We have so many investors who are coming to us based on PPP, but there is one big challenge we have, and that is security. I can assure you that your Excellency is working 24 hours a day with the security agencies and special hunters to surmount the security challenges. We can overcome it if we are willing and ready,” he said.

Vatsa said the state government would not be financially committed to the partnerships as the investors would be coming in with their own money, equipment, and expertise.