Getting it right in Bauchi

It is clear that Bauchi State is on the cusp of an industrial and manufacturing revolution given the determination of Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, to embark on industrialisation. This is based on the premise that apart from being an agrarian state, it has commercial deposits of a couple of solid minerals that could be the […]

It is clear that Bauchi State is on the cusp of an industrial and manufacturing revolution given the determination of Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, to embark on industrialisation. This is based on the premise that apart from being an agrarian state, it has commercial deposits of a couple of solid minerals that could be the basis and justification for this dream.

But first thing first, for an economy to be enduring, it must thrive on a sound industrial base, and for any industrial base to thrive agriculture must be pivotal. It is in realization of this that Governor Abubakar is courting the private and public sector to revive the moribund and non-functional Bauchi Fertilizer Company through the injection of funds and other sound fiscal and operational policies.  Revitalizing the fertilizer company was aimed at boosting the large army of farmers in Bauchi State. This is all the more necessary so that the food needs of the state can be met and also be exported. With that the state can be ready for the dream industrial revolution. 

The Bauchi Fertilizer Company is one of the very first state enterprises to benefit from the economic initiatives of the present administration in Bauchi State. As the Chairman of the company, Alhaji Bappah Aliyu Misau revealed when recently he hosted the governor in the premises of the  company, the company has been abandoned by previous state governments. The governor was told that with the injection of funds which led to the repair and replacement of obsolete equipment and tools, the company is back and now performing optimally and production was well above average capacity, ready to surpass previous year’s 30,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer production

Another highpoint is that the company can now produce its own spare parts which are crucial to the sustenance of production of fertilizer. In a way, it means conservation of scarce foreign exchange. 

Since the whole objective is geared towards industrialization, while the fertilizer bit has been achieved, move is on to prepare other facilities such as the massive construction of urban and rural roads as well as the provision of potable water and regular power supply which is a sine qua non for efficient industrial production. 

Ishaya K. Joshua, Abuja