Ambode hosts Dangote, reiterates pledge to make Lagos investors’ haven

• Dedicates birthday to fight cancer

GOVERNOR Akinwunmi Ambode has restated his administration’s willing and readiness to make investors comfortable in Lagos State.

He spoke while receiving business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Ambode has called on his family members, friends, political associates and well wishers wishing to place congratulatory messages on his birthday, billed for Sunday, June 14, to channel same to the fight against cancer.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Habib Aruna, the governor sought their understanding to respect his wish to use the birthday as his modest way of touching the distressed and impacting on humanity.

“As a modest way of touching the distressed and making impact on humanity, I have decided to associate with ‘The Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP-Nigeria)’ in fighting the big war against cancer,” the governor said.

Towards this end, he urged interested people to send such donations to the First Bank Account of The Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP-Nigeria); No: 2026761622.

He said the project was being anchored by Dr. Christopher Kolade and Prof. Pat Utomi. He thanked the people for accepting his wish, assuring them that all such gestures would be acknowledged and appreciated.

The governor, who described Dangote’s visit as very significant, promised that his administration would open up the state for greater business just as it is also interested in attracting foreign investors through its creation of an Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment.

He went on: “This visit is symbolic in the sense that the bottom line is creating jobs for our youths and he has shown full commitment as a great Nigerian that he is interested in investing in any part of this country. But most significantly in Lagos state and we are ready to support him and support all his businesses because he is adding value.

“I will just call on other investors that wherever  it is that we can assist, we are willing and ready to make sure that investors have comfortable life and comfortable business profile in Lagos state and once again I want to thank you for being here.”

The governor also thanked the businessman for donating N400 million through the Dangote Foundation to 2,000 women in each of the 20 Local Governments in the state towards assisting in improving their businesses.

Addressing correspondents shortly after the meeting, Dangote said he and his team were at the Lagos House to congratulate Ambode on his victory at the poll as well as his swearing in as the 14th Chief Executive Officer of the state.

He stressed that the visit also afforded him the opportunity to assure the governor of his commitment to finish ongoing projects currently being embarked upon by his company as well as his continued support for initiatives geared towards securing lives and property.

He added: “I’ve assured him that we really love doing business here. It is a friendly state for doing business and also to assure him of all the projects that we are doing that we are on course; that is building the largest ever single refinery of 650,000 barrels per day, which is by far more than the consumption of Nigeria and that would satisfy our consumption at least for the next seven to ten years by the time we finish.

“Also, we are building the largest fertilizer plant of two to three million tonnes of Uranium and Amonia also in the Lekki Free Trade Zone and assure him that we are going to do a gas pipeline from Bonny to under the sea, in which when we finish, Lagos State will never ever experience blackout, there would be electricity 24 hours a day.”