Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia showcased the investment potential of the state to the rest of the World, calling on long term investors to avail themselves of the opportunities that abound in the state.
This is just as he called for active participation of the Organized Private Sector in the growth of African economic markets.
Making this known at the ‘2013 African High- Growth Markets summit: the emergence of an aspirational African consumer’ organised by the The Economist which had in attendance notable political and economic leaders such as the Ethiopian Finance and Economic Development Minister, Sufian Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of Vodacom International, Romeo Khumalo, the Bayelsa State Governor expressed the readiness of his administration to partner with foreign investors in tourism, maritime, agriculture, energy and infrastructure sectors.
He disclosed that his administration would like to collaborate with long term foreign investors rather than portfolio investors, stressing that his administration has put in place an enabling environment at ensuring the success of investments in the state.
His words: “We want investors that are willing to take advantage of emerging opportunities in Bayelsa State. We want long term investors to partner with the state. Most of the big ticket projects that we talked about, that my government is passionate about are really long term in nature, especially the development of the Airport and the Agge Deep Seaport . These are long term investments. Also the government is looking at Investments in big time aquaculture, rice plantation and these are all capital intensive projects.
“The perfect investor that we will like to see in Bayelsa is an investor that is prepared to take advantage of emerging opportunities and somebody who is willing to come into new frontiers and be part of exploration and not a conventional investor who wants to come in when every other investor has already taken the position. Come and position yourselves in Bayelsa. Work with us to build the new Dubai”.
On the Heritage Oil Company and plans to create 30,000 jobs, the governor said: “It is an example of a perfect investor that we are looking for. Heritage Oil company in UK came to partner and do business with us. We are actually investing in the creation of a new company; Petrobay to bid for oil blocs to position us in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. Bayelsa is the headquarters of oil and gas in Nigeria. That is the type of investor we are looking for. There are others that have come like IPP. There are others working with us from Denmark on cassava production which is going to be the biggest cassava farm in the country.
Also in his address, the Vice-President of China-Africa Development Fund, Wang Yong, called for concerted efforts of the countries in the continent in proffering lasting solutions to the factors militating against the growth of African economies.
He said his country, through investments, is contributing to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of African nations, adding: “We have full confidence in African markets. We believe in Africa today. China manages development fund across Africa.
