The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has urged entrepreneurs, international organisations and residents of the Federal Capital Territory to invest in the reinvented AMAC Investment and Property Development Company (IPDC) for development of the Council.
Speaking with Blueprint in Abuja Wednesday, the group managing director of AMAC IPDC, Hon. David Obaje, said that the area council is determined to rely less on federal allocation, hence the determination of the council to diversify its income through different legitimate ventures.
Obaje said that AMAC IPDC was established in 2016 by AMAC Chairman, Hon. Abudllahi Adamu Candido, as the business arm of the Council and has been making forays into real estate, agriculture and every other legitimate businesses that generate revenue for the Council.
He said that AMAC is housing different multinational agencies, embassies and corporations, who are expected to partner with AMAC IPDC for the development of the council, especially in the area of employment of teeming youth.
He said: “AMAC IPDC is a company established by the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to do business on behalf of the area council. The over dependence by local government and state government on federal allocations is to be discouraged. Because of that, the Executive Chairman of AMAC, Hon. Abdullahi Adamu Candido, the most performing chairman in the whole of Nigeria, decided to establish AMAC IPDC as one of his legacy projects.
“The mandate is to do business and bring in funds for developmental purposes in the area council, so that it will not be solely dependent on federal allocations. Candido had and has his vision on what to do in office to make life easier for people. He is not the politician that the position just got to him by mistake.
“AMAC IPDC is into real estate, agriculture, waste to wealth creation, Smart SME, among other legitimate businesses that provides return on investment for investors. In the Kurudu Relocation Market, we have shops of 15 square meter that is going for about N1.5m. We have 13 square meter going for about N1.3m, which is the cheapest in the whole of Abuja. There is nowhere in Abuja where you will see shops sold out rightly at that rate and still give people the opportunity to pay on instalment basis, so that it will not be a heavy burden on the people.”
He added: “The fashion world is so wide and it has lots of opportunities. Almost all of us wear shoes, clothes, we use bed sheets. All these things are produced by the fashion world. Many people have acquired skills in the fashion world, but lack the opportunity of acquiring machineries. So, we want to look at a situation where professionals will come and use our equipment in the facility to produce things, pay us for using our facility and then earn money. We also have a section for people who bring business to us.
“We will pay you for bringing business to us. So, as a youth, you will become engaged and the issue of insecurity will be curbed. When people were making money, who wanted to be a cheap equipment in the hand of Boko Haram?
“For us to reduce insecurity through employment, we have approached foreign embassies like JICA, British authority and France who have passion in the fashion world. We want to collaborate to achieve our aim in the fashion world. We cannot do it alone. A tree does not make a forest. We need partnership. We need people. They should just feel free to partner with reinvented AMAC IPDC. We are open for investment.
“We are open for business. We are not greedy, so bring up the business and let’s do it. Those that have fantastic ideas that will impact positively on society and make money for AMAC IPDC should come forward. Let’s make our own money while you make yours, whether you are in Nigeria or in the Diaspora. Once we agree, we write an MoU with you and share the profit of any business venture.”