An Abuja-based firm, COK Best Limited, has urged the government to install streetlights across the satellite towns in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to guarantee security and encourage businesses to operate 24 hours.
The firm also identified security, infrastructure and discounted electricity tariff for Small and Medium Scale Businesses (SMEs) as major key provisions the government can use to lure foreign investors into the capital city.
Managing Director of the firm, Lady Vera Afam-Aguiyi, made this observation in Abuja during the grand opening of COK best Mall located at Kubwa in Abuja.
Disclosing that COK best Mall is currently complying with international standard by generating 80 per cent of its electricity from solar, she said the “Mall is still faced with electricity challenges and called on the government to intervene.
“The house is a green house that is complying with international standard powered by solar, we have other sources of energy but 80 percent of our energy comes from solar.”
According to Afam-Aguiyi, the Mall which comprises of a multidimensional two floor supermarket, an event hall that can accommodate about 1000 people, a lounge which can also take more than 1000 people and a fitness center that can take up to 500 people has already employed and taken over 100 youths and women out of the street.
She said: “Government can come in so many different ways, even as we try to go green, we are still battling with energy. Government can make it affordable to small scale businesses like this by given them a different tariff, tariffs that will make people to invest in the country, if you encourage people by given a discounted tariff to businesses, they will thrive and investors will come from outside the country to invest.
“Security is very key, if government provides security it will be very easy for people to come in and invest because what scare investors when you mention Nigeria, Kubwa or even the city center is insecurity. Government should also work on bringing infrastructure like solar streetlights so that businesses can operate 24/7 in Abuja. People really want to develop but Government need to support them.”
According to the CEO, the management decided to put the project in Kubwa because almost all the businesses in Abuja are located in the center where people only go for work after which retire back to the satellite towns.
“Considering the location. This is Kubwa, most people like investing in the city center the real people that need to be touched are not staying in the city centre, they stay at the satellite towns and the surbub while people are investing in the city center, meanwhile 90 percent of people working in the city center retire back to the satellite towns.”
