* As Chinese mining firm ER-KANG invests in Kwara
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Tuesday said the administration is always open for partnerships and engagements that attract investments and pave the way for local processing of solid minerals in the state.
He also said that the government is committed to making the ease of doing business a major selling point for Kwara in the country.
The Governor spoke in Ilorin when he received a delegation from the ER-KANG Mining Nigeria Company Limited led by the Managing Director, Sun Qing Rong.
The Governor promised to provide the mining company and others with all the necessary support to thrive.
“Our government is here to work with you to make sure you succeed in what you are doing. Your success will be our success. We will continue to promote a business friendly environment and make sure that our ease of doing business is next to none, such that Kwara becomes a destination and center for solid minerals and mining in Nigeria,” he said.
“Your investment shows the way to go in terms of solid minerals processing. As a policy which the federal government is also looking into, solid minerals should be processed before export. What you are doing shows that direction of processing the minerals before exporting or before further processing into other uses within Nigeria.”
AbdulRazaq said the location of the company near the state Industrial Park, which is under construction, is apt and will serve mutual benefits.
“You are located near our Industrial Park, which will soon become an export processing zone. If you are within that zone, all your mining equipment will have been imported duty-free into Nigeria,” he stated.
“Your safety is always guaranteed. We look forward to good engagements between us and your company; we also want you to be an ambassador of Kwara in China, where other Chinese companies can come and invest in Kwara.”
Rong, for his part, said they chose Kwara for their investment because of its peaceful nature, requesting the government to assist them in getting necessary legal papers and documentation.
He said their company will create employment opportunities by engaging the services of the locals and increasing the revenue of the state.
“Our company is investing in this state because it is a business friendly and peaceful one. It is a good business environment. We can make our market decisions here. We can set good examples and encourage more foreign companies, particularly Chinese companies to invest in Kwara State,” he said.
Also speaking, the Legal Consultant to the company, Ibrahim Atanda, said the firm is ready to maintain the best corporate practices, comply with relevant regulations, and work with appropriate agencies of the government.
An indigene of Ilorin, Atanda recalled the Governor’s public statement where he advocated a local processing for solid minerals and said the coming of ER-KANG Mining company is an answer to the age-long quest in the state.
