OPENING REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU INUWA YAHAYA (DAN MAJEN GOMBE), GOVERNOR OF GOMBE STATE, AT THE MAIDEN GOMBE STATE

OPENING REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU INUWA YAHAYA (DAN MAJEN GOMBE), GOVERNOR OF GOMBE STATE, AT THE MAIDEN GOMBE STATE INVESTMENT SUMMIT, WEDNESDAY 12TH OCTOBER, AT THE GOMBE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER. PROTOCOLS I am immensely grateful to Allah (SWT) for preserving us to witness this special day. I would like to welcome you all to Gombe, the capital of Gombe State, the Jewel in the Savannah and the commercial nerve center of the Northeast subregion, for the first edition of the Gombe State Investment Summit.

2. Gombe’s eminent place in commerce and industry is well established. The old saying about Gombe (Gombe mai kamar Kano daga nesa), as similar to Kano from afar confirms Gombe’s undisputed relevance in regional trade and commerce. Throughout its history, Gombe has captured the imagination of traders, business caravans and enterprising wanderers from within and outside Nigeria. Our position is boosted by its strategic location at the center of the north-east subregion and proximity to neighboring countries around the Lake Chad basin, enterprising and peace-loving population, unity in diversity, comparative advantage in agriculture, commerce, and abundance of natural resource like limestone, gypsum, uranium, coal, crude oil, kaolin, etc. Gombe also boast of great potentials in irrigation and hydropower generation through the Dadin Kowa, Balanga and Cham dams. 3. From the onset of this administration, we were mindful of the enormity of the tasks and challenges before us. That is why we undertook a needs assessment study even before we were sworn into office. The study, which covered all our 114 wards and over 420 communities, would later serve as the foundation for our 10-year development plan known as the Development Agenda for Gombe State (DEVAGOM). DEVAGOM was built around 5 pillars of economic development, infrastructure, sustainable environment, governance and institutional capacity. All these pillars are fully aligned with the sustainable development goals as set out by the United Nations. 4. In the same vein, we also realized that in order to put our state on the path of sustainable progress and long-term prosperity, we must strategically invest in both human capital and infrastructural development. On one hand, human capital development will enable us to equip our teeming youth with the requisite skills, knowledge and expertise to succeed in our rapidly changing digital world. To this end, we are working to leverage on digital skills and opportunities to develop Gombe into a regional ICT hub in order to harness the creative energies of our youth. On the other hand, solid and resilient infrastructure is being put in place to serve as catalyst for industrialization and growth, unlock opportunities and deliver sustainable prosperity to the people. This is evident in our numerous interventions in the education and health sectors through the constructions and upgrade of schools and hospitals, construction of rural and urban roads under the Network 11-100 project, the Gombe Mega Motor Park project, the Gombe Regional Water Expansion Scheme, and most importantly, the Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park. The 1000-hectare mega industrial facility is strategically located along the linking point of transport and energy infrastructure. It is expected to help consolidate Gombe’s position as the industrial hub of the North-east subregion.

5. More importantly, we have also realized that businesses can only thrive in an environment that fosters innovation, collaboration, risk reduction, sound regulatory framework, and sustainable wealth creation. To this end, we undertook major reforms in order to create a favorable investment climate. As a first step, we revamped the Gombe Internal Revenue Service. Through the deployment of technology-driven and innovative solutions, we are able to transform it into a robust vehicle for revenue growth and optimization. We also revived the Gombe State Investment and Property Development Company Limited to serve as a one-stop shop for all investment-related issues in order to facilitate ease of doing business. In the same vein, in order to streamline and revolutionize land administration, we created the Gombe Geographic Information System (GOGIS) and provided it with the resources and authority to carry out its mandate effectively. It is the culmination of these efforts and reforms (as well as many others) that propelled us to number 1 position in terms of ease of doing business in Nigeria. 6. It is worthy of note that providing an enabling environment for businesses is more than just enacting business reforms. For them to make the desired impacts, such reforms must succeed in reducing the duration, cost and procedure of starting and operating a business. It is to this end that we developed and implemented policies and programs geared towards simplifying the registration of businesses, harmonizing taxation, improving the efficiency of local officials, stamping out corruption, maintaining security of lives and property, and building the capacity of judicial officers so as to improve the quality of the judicial system. 7. Our administration is also taking bold steps towards addressing the three major issues affecting business creation and growth: security, access to finance, and electricity. On the issue of security, Gombe has remained remarkably peaceful in spite the Boko Haram insurgency and other security challenges bedeviling our subregion. This administration has accorded great priority to security of lives and property. This has been recognised by the recent rating of Gombe as the safest state in the North-east by the Nigeria Security Tracker as well as the major security agencies. Let me further assure you that your investment and personnel are safe in Gombe. In addition to our numerous empowerment programs for SMEs, we are partnering with local and international stakeholders to provide cheap and affordable financing for our entrepreneurs. Our administration recognized the role of electricity as the backbone of industrial development. To this end, we are investing strongly in energy infrastructure in order to put Gombe on strong industrial foundation. In addition to the 40MW Dadin Kowa hydroelectric power plant, we are also working on a 250MW solar power plant in partnership with the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, and another 100MW power plant under the Northern States Governors Forum renewable energy initiative. We are also partnering with UNIDO to harness the hydropower potentials of Balanga and Cham dams in order to power small agro-allied industrial clusters. With these initiatives, Gombe will lead the regional transition towards renewable energy, and achieve the required capacity to power its industrialization drive.

8. With over 60% of the population between the age of 15 and 49, whom we are working to equip with relevant skills and expertise, Gombe has the potential to meet its human resource needs. We have the largest deposits of gypsum and limestone in the country, abundant deposits of uranium, as well as other precious minerals. Gombe is also blessed with huge commercial deposits of coal, oil and gas while our agricultural produce like cotton, ground nut, rice etc command great value due to their high quality. In addition, the presence of large dams in Dadin Kowa, Cham and Balanga make the state ideal for large scale irrigation and hydropower generation. Our enormous potential in animal husbandry has led to a partnership with the Federal Government towards the development of the Wawa-Zange Grazing Reserve in our twin approach to boost animal production and reduce communal clashes between farmers and herders. With all these comparative advantages, Gombe can be considered to be an investor’s heaven. 9. Ladies and gentlemen, it is clear that in all that we achieved over the past three and half years is the result of painstaking effort in planning and implementation, aided by God’s guidance and the support of our people. Today, Gombe is open for business. It is the destination of choice for investment in the north-east subregion. Not even the more than a decade-old Boko Haram insurgency or the covid-19 pandemic and its attendant global economic meltdown could slow our march towards progress. This is the leadership we promise. This is the Gombe State we are building, one that will serve as a model to the rest of the country and a source of pride to our future generations. Our march towards building a peaceful, prosperous and all-inclusive state must not be distracted. We cannot afford to fail or slow down. 10. So far, I am satisfied with the responses from investors and the business community. Hundreds of investors have expressed interest to operate from the industrial park, and many more are willing. In the course of this summit, we will sign memoranda of understanding with some leading local and international brands to further demonstrate the success of our efforts. I want to thank all investors and partners for your trust and confidence in us, and for taking the bold steps to tap into the amazing potentials abound in our state.

11. On this note, I would like to thank the steering committee led by the Deputy Governor, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Gombe State Investment and Property Development Company Limited led by its able chairman, as well as other partners for organizing the summit. My special appreciation also goes to our local stakeholders and the general public whose support, commitment and creativity continue to serve as encouragement to our administration and a source of pride to our dear State. I want to assure you that your individual and collective contributions are immeasurably recognized and greatly appreciated. On our part, we are committed to delivering on our campaign promises and meeting the yearnings and aspirations of our people. 12. I wish you a very successful and fruitful summit. Thank you for listening and God bless you all. Long Live Gombe State! Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!