Head of Dangote Group Aliko Dangote has revealed plans to help decrease unemployment in northern Nigeria through the creation of more than 200,000 jobs in the next two years.
At the recent Katsina State Investment and Economic Summit, the business magnate announced his plans to build a 16-hectare rice plantation in Jigawa State, a development he believes can make Nigeria not only self-sufficient in the production of rice on a national scale but also a leading exporter of rice in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Dangote Group is working to increase yield of rice per hectare from the present 1.4 to maximum 2 tonnes per hectare in Jigawa State. Already, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by the Dangote Group to produce rice in Jigawa on a rice value chain, from planting to retaining,” Dangote said.
Lamenting over Nigeria’s business climate, Dangote charged his country to implement favorable policies to further diversify the economy.
Nigeria remains one of the African states battling with aggressive rates of youth unemployment despite the federal state being the leading producer of oil in West Africa.
According to international economic forecasts, Nigeria’s unemployment rate is most likely to increase to 12 percent by 2020.
