Employment creation: FG partners Obajana Cement to create jobs, boost economy

The Federal government said it is in partnership with Obajana cement factory in order to boost the economy and to create more jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the country

It said with the Obajana cement factory offering over 11,000 direct jobs and 24,000 indirect jobs making it one of the greatest employers of labour in the country, becomes imperative to partner.

Minister of State for Mining and steel development Samson Ogar made this disclosure while on an inspection tour of Dangote cement factory, Obajana in Kogi state.

The minister who said he was highly impressed by what he saw at the factory disclosed that the present administration has decided to embark on aggressive diversification from oil whose price is fast dwindling in the international market.

” In view of what is happening to oil in the international market, we can no longer rely only on oil as our source of revenue, there is a need to explore other avenues to shore up our earnings and create jobs opportunities to our teeming youths”.

The Minister said that the Federal government will no longer fold it’s arm and allow illegal miners to deny it of legitimate earnings that accrued to it.

“We are not saying that Individuals cannot mine, but we are saying come and legitimise your business by obtaining a proper licence and don’t deny us legitimate revenue that would enhance income and provide jobs for our youths”

He said the federal government was ready to give tax relief and other incentives to investors who ate ready to invest in the country especially in the steel and mining sector.

The Minister said that he was at the Dangote cement factory to explore an area of collaboration between the Federal government and the company with a view to assisting them to increase productivity and enable them to employs more people.

The company’s Executive director, Mr DVG Edwin commended the Minister for the visit describing it as first of its kind that a top government official would be visiting the plant adding that the visit signifies a new beginning which the company will leverage
on.
He said the cement factory which is the second largest in the world has four line production outlet with the fifth being currently constructed and when completed will produce 16.3 metric tonnes a day from its current 13.5 metric tonnes making it the largest cement factory