Nigeria: Niger Delta Science, Technology And Bio Industrial Park to Create Over 100,000 Jobs

Daily Independent

7 February 2011

Nigeria: Niger Delta Science, Technology And Bio Industrial Park to Create Over 100,000 Jobs

Lagos — Faced with the spectre of prolonged increase in unemployment, poverty and the continuing collapse of enterprises if the recession persists, able-bodied Nigerians would soon get a relief as the Niger Delta Science, Technology and Bio Industrial Park at Sagbama, Bayelsa State is set to boost employment, stimulate economic recovery and actually generate over 100,000 jobs.

The Science and Technology Industrial Park was concessioned by the Regional Centre for Bio-Enterprise Development (RCBED), a creation of the Federal Government as a sub-set of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN). The emphasis for developing RCBED was pushed by government as a way of promoting the industrial base of the Niger Delta communities, especially supporting industries that focus on non-oil industries' resource areas.

The Chairman of BFI Group Corporation, USA and concessionee of the Industrial Park, Dr. Reuben Jaja, disclosed the prospect in Port Harcourt at a summit organised by RCBDE, Federal Secretariat, Abuja to map out the feasibility of the Bio Industrial Park as well as the state of the efforts made so far to implement the project.

He said: "Based on our longstanding work on developing commercial relations between the United States and the 53 African states as well as the European Union, the BFI Group will mobilise the international business community, including multilateral organisations such as the World Bank Group, UNESCO, EU Development agencies as well as the Asian and African Development banks.

"The Niger Delta Science, Technology and Bio Industrial Park is designed to provide over 100,000 jobs to boost economic recovery while preparing for a greener, more balanced, fairer and sustainable African economy."