Masari, Zakari and foreign direct investment drive
When His Excellency Governor Aminu Bello Masari appointed Ibrahim Zakari as Honorary S.A. International Relations and Investments, he had just hit a masterstroke; responsibility had been entrusted upon capable hands. An unassuming soft spoken gentleman of generational nobility, he posited to “walk his talk and talk his walk”. He quickly went to work and started mobilizing resources by attracting unparalleled Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) with the desire, motivation and intent to improve the standing of Katsina amongst the comity of its peers and uplift its societal development.
Quietly he put up a convincing case for his vast global network of business associates to come and invest in Katsina State, reaping dividends through returns on investment, nurturing and harnessing sustainable development of the global village which we now live in. subsequently, we highlight the investors that have expressed interest and in fact, have commenced operations as going concerns in various local governments in Katsina State. While others were jostling to be the most favoured courtiers eyeing the perks of office, he stood his station and immediately went to work.
First, the handover of the Kankia metal works (inoperative since the mid ‘80s), a moribund dilapidated structure which has now been transformed into a going concern by AmpriGroup assembling nails, motorcycles and tricycles.
In came Salad-Greenhouse, with its bio-organic fertilizer factory situated in Funtua Local Government in the Katsina South Senatorial District. He also initiated the Safaz Shelter and Properties to enter into agreement with the intent of building 500 housing units of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom housing units in Katsina while a 100 units would be built in Daura and Funtua.
To further demonstrate the seriousness with which the state holds the FDI drive, the state government recently approved the proposed oil refinery to be built by Blakoil Energy Refinery with expected capacity of between 50,000-100,000 barrels per day. Additionally, three youths have also been sent on training to Japan, two on rice harvesting while one would specialize in poultry farming. While another investor by the name Agrolala has also engaged 50,000 farmers in crop and yield optimization.
It is worthy of note here that all these investments have come at ZERO cost to the state with immense value to be added to the state through these novel propositions.
These efforts he has also gone about without the ubiquitous fanfare galore that is synonymous with political office holders. This may be due to the fact that he insists that he is not a politician; rather a businessman called upon to contribute his quota to societal development and what better way than with such novel “blue ocean” strategy initiatives that are unparalleled and unprecedented. This aptly captures the title “a walking colossus” for his strides within six months in office are worthy of recognition both within the state and the nation at large. Ibrahim is truly “walking the talk, while we are talking the walk.
Once again I wish to reiterate that amongst his peers, he stands a giant colossus in words and actions. No wonder his father, Ambassador (Dr.) Zakari Ibrahim was also voted elder statesman of the year in an online poll labeled “KEA Awards 2016”. As such, it runs through the genes one may say. As a mutual friend of ours once said “now that’s a gentleman I admire; a gentleman of humble noble upbringing any parent would to have as a child and his offspring would grow to have as a role model father following his path.
He is one of the capable young professionals President Muhammadu Buhari needs to bring closer to work with him in attracting foreign investors. A generational shift as such would be a dream come true for us teeming youths that constitute majority of the population. Congratulations to Ibrahim Zakari Ibrahim for his award as we await a multitude more to come. Aminu Isyaku, isyakuaminu980@gmail.com Katsina,