President GoodLuck Jonathan posted
this on his Facebook page this afternoon.
See the full message after the cut..
Dear friends on facebook,
The determination of this
administration to create wealth in Nigeria and for Nigerians has led us to
focus our investment drive towards attracting Foreign Direct Investments in
manufacturing and the service sector to ensure that jobs are created. And this
drive is not an exercise in futility as Nigeria is becoming the preferred
destination for FDI. Just last week, General Electric announced a decision to
invest $1 billion in setting up a manufacturing plant to support power
generation and oil production. Their plant, to be situated in Calabar, will
provide jobs for thousands with multiplier effect for tens of thousands more
and will make Nigeria a hub for power equipment in the region. The end result
of this investment is that Nigeria’s power generating infrastructure will be
expanded meaning more power for Nigerians which translates to even more jobs.
While we continue to
encourage the Private Sector to help grow our economy and create jobs for our
youths, we will do all within our powers to also keep our youths engaged. In
this regard I am happy to report that the 600 bed Federal Teaching Hospital in
Abakaliki, Ebonyi State which this administration began working on in February
2011. This project has reached 95% completion and when commissioned later this
year it will provide jobs for 3000 people. Similar projects are ongoing in
other geo-political zones and I will keep you updated.
Similarly, ongoing massive
investments in the rehabilitation of our railways are being carried out with
direct labour, thereby providing jobs to thousands of our youths especially
around the Ilorin-Minna-Kaduna-Kano corridor of our rail network. In addition
to the regular Lagos to Kano service, the Nigerian Railway Corporation has
introduced new routes including the Offa-Kano intercity service. These
initiatives are generating employment and providing an inexpensive means of
travel as well as an alternative means of hauling heavy goods and petroleum
products to the hinterland.
Rehabilitation works are
also ongoing in the nation’s pipelines to ensure a resumption of the supply of
petroleum products by pipelines all over the nation thus reducing the pressure
on our roads and railways and freeing up space for hauling other products. Jobs
are being created as this is ongoing and moribund services are being resumed.
Just last month, the Benin
Depot of the Pipeline Product Marketing Company (PPMC) was reopened after a
successful completion of rehabilitation works. Products can now be transferred
by pipelines to this facility.
And it is not just in the
service sectors that we are seeing construction and rehabilitation. During the
maiden meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation meeting, the Federal
Government approved the establishment of three new universities in Yobe, Kebbi
and Zamfara states. Apart from the jobs that the construction works will
generate in those states, value is being added to the local economy as more
citizens will have access to tertiary education with its attendant effect in
wealth generation and improved health.
My dear friends on facebook,
may God bless you, even as I pray for Almighty God to bless our country,
Nigeria. GEJ
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