Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his efforts to create an enabling environment for industrialisation and private-sector investment, declaring that Nigeria is gradually regaining its glory as he commissioned the Confluence Lube world-class lubricant blending and packaging factory along Ganaja-Ajaokuta Expressway in Kogi State.
Governor Ododo described the investment by Godec Power Nigeria Limited as a significant contribution to the state’s industrialisation drive, job creation and economic prosperity, noting that the establishment of the facility demonstrated growing confidence in Kogi’s economic potential, revealing that the state could only achieve its full economic potential when investors committed their resources to productive ventures that create employment and add value to the local economy.
The governor commended the Vice President of the Igbo Community in Kogi State, Chief Okechukwu Obika, Managing Director and Chairman of Godec Power Nigeria Limited, for investing in a facility that produces engine oils and plastic containers, providing employment opportunities for hundreds of Kogites. He emphasised that his administration welcomed investors who were willing to process resources locally rather than take raw materials out of the state without creating corresponding economic benefits for its people.
Ododo, who reaffirmed his commitment to building a private sector capable of employing far more people than the public sector, announced a three-year waiver on selected state annual levies to encourage business growth. The waiver covers Land Use Charge, Environmental Levy, Business Premises Annual Renewal, Fire Service Levy and Economic Development Levy. He assured investors of his administration’s continued support, adding that Kogi possessed the strategic location, resources and human capacity to emerge as a major industrial hub in Nigeria.
In his welcome address, Chief Okechukwu Obika, Managing Director and Chairman of Godec Power Nigeria Limited, said the company, established in 2001 as an electricity trading business, had diversified into cargo tricycle assembly and distribution, lubricant production, plastic recycling, plastic container manufacturing, industrial tools and agricultural processing equipment. He explained that the Confluence Lube facility produces engine oils for petrol and diesel engines, transmission oils and plastic containers, while plans are underway to introduce hydraulic oil, brake fluid, transformer oil and grease. Obika disclosed that the company had already created 100 direct jobs and more than 200 indirect jobs, adding that expansion to full operational capacity could increase employment to over 300 direct jobs and more than 1,000 indirect jobs.
The Kogi State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Muhammed Muktar Shuaibu, expressed the state government’s commitment to working with investors and communities across the state to promote economic development. He emphasised the importance of cooperation and inclusion, noting that the administration was committed to working with people from different backgrounds and communities to advance Kogi’s collective prosperity.
