23 May 2014, Dutse, Jigawa – The chairman Dangote group of companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote is to invest $250 million in the proposed Sugar factory acquired by his company which is located in Kaugama local government area of Jigawa state.
Alhaji Dangote disclosed this while answering questions from news men at the state government House, Dutse after meeting with Governor Sule Lamido, adding that the Sugar Company will start operation this September.
He said that the 20,000 hectares of land has the capacity to grow over 150,000 metric tonnes of sugar each year.
“We are hoping to commence work in the factory this September because production of sugar is a seasonal business and the season is quite short, we also hope to include offshore industries like milk diary factory and poultry farming.”
“We are also going to pay compensations to the owners of the lands which we hope to use for the farming of sugarcane, we are only waiting for the state government to value the lands then we will pay the farmers and most of the beneficiaries will be among the 10,000 farmers to be engaged for farming sugarcane, he added.
The billionaire business man further disclosed that they intend to use the waste and by products from the sugarcanes to produce ethanol which can be used for vehicles, fertilizers, and animal feeds that will further create economic activities for the people of the area.
He said that a total of 23,000 indigenes of the state will be employed, out of which 13,000 persons will be conventional workers while the remaining 10,000 will be farmers that will be engaged in the farming of sugarcane.
Tina Akannam –
