By Segun Adewale, Gombe
Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has received a delegation of Chinese investors under the auspices of the China Overseas Engineering Group Company (COVEC), who have expressed strong interest to invest in key sectors of the state’s economy, including agriculture, energy, and industrial development.
The meeting, held at the Gombe Governor’s Lodge in Abuja Thursday, was attended by officials from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).
COVEC indicated its intention to establish an integrated agricultural park in Gombe, with a focus on large-scale mechanisation, agro-processing, livestock development, renewable energy and export-oriented value chains.
The company plans to deploy cutting-edge Chinese agricultural technologies and infrastructure models to drive rural transformation and sustainable development in the state.
Speaking at the meeting, Governor Inuwa Yahaya assured the investors that Gombe offers a favourable investment climate, underpinned by its strategic location, investor-friendly policies and abundant natural resources.
“Gombe is a viable destination for investment, particularly in agriculture, commerce and enterprise. We are ready to receive investors and offer all necessary incentives to encourage them,” the Governor stated.
He explained several projects and key infrastructure already in place to support such partnerships, including the 1,000-hectare Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park, within the vicinity of Dadinkowa Dam with 40-megawatt hydroelectric power plant.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya also highlighted additional investment opportunities across the state, notably the Wawa-Zange Grazing Reserve, which along with the ongoing livestock development zone, position Gombe as a key player in the livestock value chain.
He also pointed to the state’s robust water infrastructure, anchored by three major dams: Dadinkowa, Balanga, and Cham. Of particular note, the Balanga Dam, he explained, possesses the capacity to irrigate over 11,000 hectares of farmland, making it ideal for large-scale irrigation and commercial agriculture.
In the area of solid minerals, the Governor marketed the State’s wealth of natural resources, including substantial deposits of limestone, uranium and other minerals which offer viable prospects for industrial ventures, such as cement manufacturing and mineral processing.
“We are fully prepared to partner with serious investors to harness our God-given resources for the benefit of our people and our economy,” the Governor affirmed.
The leader of the COVEC delegation, in his presentation, described the meeting as both insightful and strategic, noting that it provided the team with a clear understanding of Gombe State’s agricultural and industrial potential.
He added that the engagement had laid the groundwork for concrete investment decisions in priority sectors.
The Chinese business mogul indicated that the team would soon undertake a follow-up visit to Gombe State to lay the groundwork for full-scale investment operations.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Director of Strategic Services at the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Abubakar Yarima, who represented the Executive Secretary if the agency, noted that projects of this scale could attract substantial foreign direct investment, create thousands of jobs and engage smallholder farmers across the agricultural value chain.
“The central location and enabling policies of Gombe make it a natural hub for agro-industrial growth,” Yarima said.
The NIPC official encouraged the Gombe State Government to seize the opportunity presented by the investors’ visit to deepen its entry into foreign markets, a goal consistently championed by Governor Inuwa Yahaya,as contained in a Press statement issued by Ismaila Uba Misilli,
Director-General ( Press Affairs),
Government House, Gombe and made available to Journalists Thursday.
