Wike: Abuja Industrial Park ‘ll Create 40,000 Jobs

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike has said the Abuja Industrial Park will stimulate the economy by creating not less than 40,000 jobs in addition to reducing the rate of unemployment in the FCT.

He asserted this when he was received by the Managing Director Zeberced, Adib Aydim Kurt, during an inspection visit to the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) cited on a 97,000 square mile land.

He added that being a Free Trade Zone (FTZ), was one of the incentives that could drive companies to come and invest in the industrial park where they would enjoy tax benefits in addition to 100 megawatts of electricity generated by the company.

“So many companies will have opportunity to come in here because now there is a free zone for them, and will have regular electricity, which is what keeps manufacturers going. It’s going to create not less than.40,000 direct jobs and that is huge. 

“There is no government  that will not support this kind of investment. And having gone round, we can attest to the fact that this is what we really need to grow our economy,” Wike said.  

He added that he had directed the Executive Secretary, FCDA  to ensure that tax credit  was granted to Zeberced to fastrack the approval by the Federal Ministry of Finance for the company to finish the construction of the other eight kilometers single lane leading to the Industrial Park and make it a dual carriageway.

“You can imagine how the whole of Idu will be developed. This is what every government craves for and we must give them the necessary support. 

“You don’t need to be told, having seen what is going on, about what will happen in the next three- four years. They have assured us that if that approval is given, in eight to nine months, they would have completely competed the construction, and then all of this area will be open.

There is no city that if you want to develop and you don’t have industrial park, how will that city develop?” Wike said.

While conducting the minister, around the park, 

 Kurt disclosed that the facility encompasses, among others, 208 work shops, 200 factories, which would support small scale industries.