Gombe Woos Investors, Plans Bond Issuance to Finance Critical Projects 

Segun Awofadeji in Gombe

Gombe State Governor,  Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has  announced that he plans to issue green bond to execute his environmental friendly projects.

To this end, the governor recently met a broad spectrum of investors, investment experts, stock brokers and array of capital market players to source for the green bond funding window as a means of consolidating his investment drive into Gombe State.

The meeting at the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) is a precursor to the second edition of the Gombe State Investment Summit tagged, “Go-Invest 2.0,” which is billed for November 2024 in the Gombe State capital.

Yahaya said he led his team to the NGX to showcase to the whole world the potential in Gombe State and invite investors over.

According to him, “We need this funds to engage in viable projects that are eco-friendly, sustainable, and in conformity with international policy on climate change. It is also to invest in eco- friendly projects that will contribute to the well being of the citizens and minimize the impact of climate change on their livelihoods.

“We shall be expanding the frontiers of our afforestation programs which our administration has been prosecuting under the Gombe Goes Green project. In addition, we will also pursue the solar energy project, which has helped Gombe State tremendously since we embarked on solar energy as an alternative source of power in Gombe State.

“We are expecting to raise N30 billion, but we will do it in tranches. We are sourcing for N15billion for now and when we see how well that is doing, we can now come back.

He explained that Gombe is an agrarian economy with over 70% of the population actively engaged in the sector, adding that, ” we will expand the agricultural sector potentials with more funding.”

The stockbrokers assured the governor that his request for funding has been well received and that he will get all he came for.

A former Managing Director of the Bank of Industry, Waheed Olagunju, commended the huge steps taken so far by the Gombe State government under the leadership of Governor Inuwa Yahaha but opined that it is expedient to guarantee the coming investors of political security.

To this, Governor Yahaya expresed the fact that in Gombe State there’s always a continuity of projects. He added that his 10 – Year Development Plan, DEVAGOM has taken care of investment and socioeconomic stability for the next seven years even after his exit.