Nigerian Newsday

The Nasarawa State Government, in its bid to woo investors, said it would provide a conducive environment for those willing to invest in the state.

To this end, the state government said it has packaged some tax relief measures to attract investors to the state.

The state commissioner for commerce, industries and co-operative, Alhaji Abdullahi Yusuf Loko, stated this at a one day awareness workshop on Sheabutter for export, organized by the Jos zonal office of Nigerian Export Promotion, Council (NEPC) in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital recently.

Alhaji Loko said the development of Nasarawa State constituted a great priority to the state government, adding that "to encourage investors who will come and develop the state, we have packaged some tax relief measures for them’.

He commended NEPC for organizing the workshop which, he said, was "in line with the resolve of the state government to restore agriculture as the main economic activities of the people of the state".

The commissioner, however, called on NEPC to explore the solid minerals sector in the state, assuring that government would support every initiative aimed at exploring the untapped resources that abound in the state.

Earlier, the Jos zonal manager of NEPC, Alhaji Tijjani Zakari, said the workshop with the theme "Harnessing the untapped potentials of Sheabutter for export," was aimed at identifying major producers, processors and dealers of Sheabutter as well as sensitize them on the importance of producing the commodity for export.

He called on the Nasarawa State Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma, to encourage small scale industrialists to invest in the agricultural sector of the state.

Alhaji Zakari, who frowned at Nigeria’s over dependence on oil, emphasized the need for the government to diversify the economy, saying "over dependence on oil must not be allowed to continue because of the inherent danger in any mono economy".

The technical session of the workshop featured paper presentation on varied topics including "Harnessing the Export Potentials of Shea butter in Nasarawa State".

Some participants at the workshop who spoke to Nigerian Newsday, said the workshop increased their understanding of the importance of Shea butter.

According to one Alhaji Egye Osude, "before now, I use to see sheabutter as a mere fruit, but I have learnt other uses of this highly economic tree".