As parts of efforts to industrialise Niger State and lessen its overdependence on federation allocations, a $3.2 billion tricycle assembly plant is to be established in the state.
The company, Buckstalker Engineering, has outlined plan to establish tricycle producing plants in 12 states across the country.
Its executive chairman, Manasseh Joshua, made this known when he led some investors to the Government House Minna to intimate Governor Abubakar Sani Bello on their plans.
Joshua said the tricycle plants are to be established in partnership with a South Korean company and would be in two types; trucks and passengers. He added that they are 95 percent ready to start the project all over the country.
He said the tricycles which are specifically designed for Nigerian roads, are to help farmers to convey goods and services from hinterlands to urban centres and thus boost agriculture in the state.
While he did not list the 12 states that the plants will be established across the nation, he said they were selected based on their comparative advantage on agriculture.
He said the company has inspected the site in Minna and would soon kick start operation adding that the plant would create direct and indirect job opportunities for about 5,000 people in the state and the company will bring in 266 expatriates.
Governor Sani Bello applauded the effort of the company maintaining that they are in the right place considering the large landmass and farming population in the state.
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