Plateau state government has reiterated its commitment to provide enabling and business-friendly environment in the state for investors.
The state governor, Simon Bako Lalong, disclosed this at the weekend during a one-day sensitization forum on business enabling environment and investment climate organised for Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Agencies in state.
The event, organized by Plateau Investment and Property Development Company (PIPC) in collaboration with the German International Development Corporation (GIZ), was aimed at increasing awareness of decision-makers on key business enabling environment and investment climate issues as well as the need for quick reforms.
Speaking at the event, Lalong said in spite of the recent security setback, the state has made remarkable progress in the ranking of ease-of-doing business.
Represented by his deputy, Prof. Sonni Tyoden, the governor said Nigeria as a country has been battling with the challenge of how to accelerate poverty reduction amongst its ever growing population.
"Plateau state with a population of about 4.2 million people out of Nigeria’s 2018 estimated population of about 196 million would have the estimated population of about 1.68 million people representing 40 percent as either unemployed or under-employed.
"The challenge raises an economic emancipation alarm which any responsible government must explore avenues of deliberately addressing, especially when about 944,000 people out of this unemployed or under employed category fall within the active family age grade of 20 -39 years margin in the state,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Technical Committee of PIPC, Chief Ezekiel Gomos, said the forum would help the state establish favourable investment climate for investors and small and medium scale companies in the state.
“We aim to provide a platform for periodic review of business enabling environment, investment climate issues and monitoring of impacts of reforms.
"It is also to provide opportunity for peer learning and review among key MDAs of government on best practices with respect to business enabling environment and investment climate reforms," Gomos said.
Governor Lalong added the state would work with GIZ to intervene and help in identifying, exploring employment and income opportunities through the promotion of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in selected sectors of the economy of which the state has comparative advantage.
