United Ijaw Economic Overview
General
UIS is a resource-rich region located in the
southern Niger Delta on the Gulf of Guinea. It is a major source of Nigeria
petroleum and refined petroleum products, natural gas, petrochemicals,
forest-products, agricultural crops, and seafood.
Location
UIS is strategically
located along the tributaries of the Niger River. Its location makesit the
natural gateway into the locally used Niger River Delta, and it is also a
logical point of export for goods and produce of the Niger Delta.
Population
UIS has a population
of 14.6 million (2003). It has about 12,350 square kilometers of water and land
areas of 75,271 square kilometers which include rich farm lands, dense forests,
and the most extensive coastal wetlands in Niger Delta.
International Investment
UIS natural resources
and key location have made it a region favored by international investors.
Today, international holdings in the state is in the form of oil pipelines and
petro chemical installations.
Waterborne
Commerce
UIS is currently seeking
investors for deep water ports that can handle more than 100 million tons of
cargo in the Niger Delta waterborne commerce a year. We strive to have the
largest Niger Delta port. In addition to crude oil and petro chemicals, we seek
development that would bring other cargoes that include chemicals, seafood and
general cargo. We seek investors that would help Ijawland ports develop and be
the gateway out of the Niger Delta to the rest of Africa and the
World.
Petroleum
Refining
UIS is the largest crude oil producer in the
Niger Delta and therefore suitable for refineries of petroleum and petro
chemical products in Nigeria. We are seeking investments to establish one of the
largest and most diversified refineries in the Africa to produce lubricants and
fuels, including 5.1 billion gallons (17.5 billion liters) of gasoline a
year.
Petrochemical Production
UIS petrochemical industry, when fully developed
would manufacture one half of Africa's petrochemicals, including basic
chemicals, plastics and fertilizers. Annual production in Ijawland would be
valued at more than $20 billion.
Natural
Resources
UIS natural resources include 80 percent Niger
Delta petroleum reserves and 95 percent of the Nigeria's reserves of natural
gas. It can also be the largest producer of rice and seafood in Nigeria and a
minor producer of sulphur, lime and silica sands. The total value of all mineral
production in Ijawland is the highest in the Niger Delta and Nigeria
indeed.
Forest Resources
UIS has 6.8 million acres of hardwood and
softwood forests that is capable of supporting a large pulp and paper industry
and the production of pine plywood and lumber for construction. Ijawland's
temperate climate and abundant rainfall give it one of the fastest tree-growing
cycles in the Niger Delta.
General
Manufacturing
UIS general manufacturing sector is suitable for
and will include maritime, military, barge and recreational vessel shipbuilding,
light truck assembly, aerospace and aviation facilities, automobile equipment
manufacturing, food processing and apparel manufacturing when fully
developed.
Seafood Industry
UIS fishing industry will be largest in the Niger
Delta, accounting for 50 percent of all seafood that would reach Nigeria and
neighbouring countries. The catch will include oysters, crab, crawfish, shrimp,
red fish, shark and catfish. Crawfish, salmon, and catfish can and will be
harvested from specially-developed freshwater "farms".
Agriculture
UIS will be among the
largest producers of tomato, yams, rice, cassava, sugar cane, plantain and
banana
Tourism
Among UIS best known
attractions are the friendly people and cuisines such as "pepper soup". Other Ijawland tourist attractions include
outstanding hunting, freshwater and deepwater fishing, thousands of miles of
rivers and creeks and hundreds of lakes for boating, water skiing and sailing;
camping, hiking and canoeing and historical sites. Yenagoa, Odi, Patani and
Kaiama are a few historical places for millions of visitors. Elsewhere in
Ijawland, more than a hundred colorful festivals (Ogoriba Oge) are held each
year to celebrate crop harvests and forestry, the blessing of the fishing fleets
and dozens of foods and language variations. Oloibiri, the place where crude oil
was first explored in the Niger Delta is a must see. The proposed "Oil Museum"
will be a welcome site for visitors.
Urban
Areas
UIS is predominantly rural. Yenagoa, the capital
of Bayelsa State is fast becoming a thriving metroplolitan area
|
|
Productive Work Force
UIS
production workers are among the most productive in the Niger Delta. Affordable
skilled labor is readily available.
Resources
UIS contains 80 percent
of oil reserves and 90 percent of the Niger Delta natural gas reserves and has
more than 100 billion gallons of water flowing daily and readily available for
processing.
Comprehensive Transportation
Network
UIS will develop complex transportation systems
which will include motorable road networks, deepwater ports, barge access and
four commercial airports.
Proximity to
Markets
The populous nation of Nigeria and neighboring
African countries are a gateway away.
Low-Cost
Energy
UIS energy cost per million BTU to industrial
users will be lower than any comparable region when fully developed.
Business
Incentives
UIS business incentives include a 5 to 10 year
industrial property tax exemption, inventory tax credits, jobs tax credits,
Enterprise Zones, tax credits based on percentage of gross payroll, investment
tax credit, and a tax exemption on goods in transit.
Business
Climate
UIS is ripe for foreign investments and the
rewards are immense for brave and visionary entrepreneurs and
corporations.
Professional Location
Assistance
The Economic Development Council location
specialists can provide information and assistance on labor, sites, utilities,
incentives, training, markets, environmental permitting, and transportation
costs.
|
|
|