Caleb Mutfwang, the Plateau State Governor, on Monday, declared that the State is open for business, unveiling investment opportunities in agriculture, tourism, mining and livestock development
The governor stated this during the opening ceremony of Invest Lagos Summit 3.0 in Lagos and monitored on television by BusinessDay in Jos.
Speaking before investors, business leaders and government officials, Governor Mutfwang said his administration is focused on transforming Plateau into a major economic hub by leveraging its comparative advantages in food production, tourism and mineral resources.
The governor said agriculture remains the State’s top priority, stressing that Plateau has the capacity to contribute significantly to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product through increased food production, food security and food sovereignty.
“Today, Plateau State feeds Nigeria with what we used to call Irish potatoes, but today we call Plateau potatoes. We feed the whole of West Africa and even our neighbours in Chad and Niger with potato supplies from Plateau State.
“Having grown as the son of a farmer, I knew the pains my parents and grandparents went through, and we decided that we must revolutionise that sector. One of our goals is to move potato yield from seven tonnes per hectare to 20 tonnes per hectare.One of the key ingredients in achieving this target is seed multiplication”; he said.
Governor Mutfwang also highlighted Plateau’s dominance in vegetable production, describing the State as the largest supplier of fresh vegetables across Nigeria.
He noted that inadequate storage infrastructure remains a major challenge, resulting in substantial post-harvest losses, but said discussions were ongoing with investors to establish cold-chain facilities across the agricultural value chain.
The governor further disclosed that Plateau had secured approval to participate in the second phase of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones programme financed by the African Development Bank after studying and addressing challenges encountered during the first phase.
“As I speak, we have negotiated and acquired 500 hectares of land around the airport, which has been approved to become a cargo international airport. We have also signed an MoU with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to improve facilities there,” he said.
“By next week, I will break ground for the first meat-processing centre in the agro-processing zone. We are also building a new ultra-modern abattoir and relocating processing activities to the economic zone around the airport.
“We are targeting not only to feed Lagos but also to export to the Middle East. We are leveraging our advantage as one of the best places to breed cattle in Nigeria and are embarking on an ambitious livestock development programme aimed at converting conflict into profit”, Mutfwang stated.
The governor said the State is developing the entire livestock value chain, including feedlots, fodder production, logistics and processing facilities, while also exploring opportunities in health tourism and other sectors driven by Plateau’s unique climate and natural assets.
According to him, feasibility studies for health tourism initiatives were nearing completion as part of efforts to diversify the smState’s economy and attract private sector investments.
He urged investors to take advantage of the opportunities available in Plateau, saying the State was prepared to partner with businesses willing to invest in profitable ventures capable of driving economic growth and job creation.
“Two years ago, I was looking for N200 million. Today, if you give me N1 billion, it will be spent and turned into profit on the Plateau,” he said.
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