As Nigeria prepares for the 2023 general elections, Director General, Micheal Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Issa Aremu, has said it was time for all stakeholders to focus on Nigeria’s project through new partnerships for development, diversification and mass employment.
 
He said it is pertinent for them to build on the strengths of Nigeria’s raw materials, large market, abundant human resources and minimise the weaknesses of policy inconsistency and weak infrastructure to grow the non-oil extractive sector. 
 
Aremu said this in his congratulatory message on the commissioning of Africa’s largest Dangote Granulated Urea Fertiliser complex by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday. 
 
He commended the investment patriotism and pan-African orientation of the President/Chief Executive of Dangote Group of Industries, Aliko Dangote, in changing the narrative of Africa from what he described as ‘resource curse’ to ‘resource beneficiation.’
 
He commended the conglomerate for creating additional 5000 construction direct and indirect jobs as well as saving on $125 million in fertilizer import substitution for Nigeria. 
   
Aremu observed that with the expected largest petroleum refinery, 650,000 barrels-per-day, (more than enough to meet Nigeria’s petrol needs and for export) “Aliko Dangote has long changed the narrative of Nigeria and Africa from pessimism of exporter of raw materials, importers of finished products to that of manufacturing, value addition and mass job creation.” 
 
According to him, “Aliko Dangote is often reported as the richest man in Africa. But what is even more significant is that he is a  lead-industrialiser, lead employer of labour, based on value adding manufacturing activities, ranging from production of cement, sugar and flour and now to fertilizer and petroleum products, among others.”

The director-general welcomed the collaboration between the Federal Government, Lagos State government and Aliko Dangote Group.