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Towards building a resilient economy in Kaduna state, on October 13th – 15th, hundreds of investors and participants converged on the state capital to attend the 7th edition of Kaduna annual Economic and investment summit (KadInvest7.0). Our correspondent, AZA MSUE, who covers the summit reports:
When governor Nasir El-Rufai assumed duties on 29th May, 2015, as the executive governor of Kaduna state, he adopted a different approach to governance to transform the state.
In 2016, El-Rufai, initiated Kaduna Economic and Investment summit, an annual economic conference to showcase Kaduna states’ investment potential to local and international investors as an investment destination in Nigeria and Africa in general.
In the last seven years, the Kaduna State Government said it has attracted a total investment portfolio of $4, 488,000,000 comprising actualized and announced investments, adding that it has created 75, 750 direct and indirect jobs.
This year’s KadInvest which kicked started on Thursday 13th October, 2022, with Business Expo exhibition entitled ‘building a resilient economy’ recorded high volume of investors and participants who made presentations in the areas of agriculture,mining, infrastructure,technology and solid minerals.
During the KadInvest 7.0 edition’s business expo, the Managing Director of Kaduna Mining Development Company Limited, Dr Mohammed Nura Sani, disclosed that Kaduna state will soon be the first in Africa to produce liquid steel for industrial development.
Sani said: “Kaduna state is going to be the first in Africa to produce Liquid steel. Works on completion of the industry are in top gear and once completed, those companies in need of it will patronise the state”
Declaring the business expo open on Thursday at Kaduna Centenary Park, state Commissioner for Business Innovation and Technology, Prof. Kabir Mato, said 85 operational licenses were granted to investors.
Mato noted that the state is blessed with huge mineral deposits found in all the 2023 local government areas of the state: ” as of 2020, there were at least 85 mineral exploration licenses, 40 quarry licenses, 15 mining leases and three small-scale mining leases active within the State” he said.
However, Kaduna state government signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of a Film village at Trade Fair Complex along Zaria – Kano road in Kaduna State.
The signing took place during the Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit business expo and was done by Mohammad Hafiz Bayero the Administrator Kaduna Capital Territory Authority and the Kaduna State Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (KADCCIMA).
On the second day of the KadInvest, Governor Nasir El-Rufai commissioned the Kaduna Galaxy Mall and Neighbourhood Centre.
The Galaxy Mall occupied 5.7 hectares expanse of land located at the heart of the Kaduna City Center, just as it contains retail stores in different sizes, restaurants, cinema, and a major anchor tenant Shoprite Nigeria.
Other facilities at the Galaxy Mall included a gate-house, parking pay points, water treatment building, restrooms and a 505 capacity car park to ensure a wholesome experience for all residents and visitors.
The Governor also commissioned the biggest rice mill in Kaduna state FalGates Rice Mill in Sobawa,Kaduna State. Speaking during the commissioning, Founder FaLGates rice mill, Sadiq Falalu stated that “the mill is expected to generate 400 direct and over 1000 indirect jobs.”
El-Rufai further commissioned the AMSSCO Neighbourhood Centre, Afex agricultural commodity warehouses and multigrain processing plant located around the Zaria-Kano Highway as well as Kaduna Computerized Vehicle Inspection Services Centre located in Mando,Kaduna.
Meanwhile, on the third and final day of the summit held at Umaru Musa Yar’adua Hall, Governor El-Rufai who presented a recap of the previous six editions of KADInvest outlined the investment focus of Kaduna State as a governance imperative, a necessity for progress, jobs and improved public welfare.
In his presentation at the 7th edition of the three-day Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit (KadInvest 7.0) on Saturday which commenced on Thursday, Governor El-Rufai who gave a recap of what his administration achieved since inception, explained why investors should invest in Kaduna state, citing abundance of natural resources, a productive workforce, steady economic growth and being the gateway to the northern market.
The governor said his government has also been providing the conducive environment for the private sector to drive the economy, by embarking on numerous policy actions and reforms, including the hosting of the yearly Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit(KadInvest) since 2016.
El-Rufai also listed some of the major achievements of his administration, which included raking in N52 billion as Internally Generated Revenue(IGR) last year, adding that IGR was N11 billion in 2015 when he assumed office.
El-Rufai said that the remodeled Murtala Muhammed Sqaure was commissioned this year as it now has world class sporting facilities, shopping malls, restaurants and various recreational centres: “Kaduna state is also the most improved state in 2018 Ease of Doing Business Subnational report by the World Bank and it has a very investor-friendly environment,’’ he said.
El-Rufai further stated that the state:”is also the third biggest consumer market in Nigeria, the third most populous state in Nigeria and has 52% of Nigeria’s consumer market.’’’Besides, Kaduna state is rich in mineral resources as it has over 25 non-oil mineral deposits, including gold, iron ore and marble,’’ he added.
The governor recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned ‘’some road projects of the urban renewal programme within the Kafanchan Municipal Authority and Zaria, during his state visit in January.’’
‘’The Infectious Disease Centre in Mando, LGEA Primary School, Lokoja Road, Rigasa. the new Kawo-fly over bridge, which has dual carriageway, three ground rotaries, Aliyu Makama Road in Barnawa, the Leventis Underpass, were all commissioned by the president,’’ he said.
The governor disclosed that ‘’KDSG has handed over Zaria Pharmaceuticals to private investors who will produce syringes, intravenous fluids and specimen bottles. The revamped company is expected to create 200 direct and over 1,000 indirect jobs. ‘’
According to him, the government flagged off ‘’the third phase of disbursement of loans to women entrepreneurs under the Kaduna State Women Empowerment Fund KADSWEF 3.0. This year, the Technology City was commissioned at Barnawa, with CoLab Innovation Campus as anchor tenant. The manufacturing facility of AMA Medical, a plant built to produce intravenous fluids, was also commissioned,’’ he recalled.
“Zipline’s operations for instant delivery of medical consumables to health facilities was commissioned at Pambegua, the first of three planned distribution hubs in the state” he added.
El-Rufai also said that ‘’KDSG signed a technical and management service agreement with Doctors Clinic Company of the United Arab Emirates on the 300 bed hospital. In addition, it also signed an agreement with Elekta for the purchase of equipment for the nuclear medicine and oncology centre at the hospital. This will expand the national capacity for treating cancer,’’ he added.
Justifying the theme of KadInvest 7.0, which is “Building a Resilient Economy’’, the governor noted that it is necessary for government to be innovative, especially ‘’ in the wake of the global economic slowdown and to sustain reforms into the next Administration.’’
El-Rufai, stressed that states should ‘’begin to innovate and become more resilient against global economic shocks and begin to harness their comparative advantages to increase internally generated revenues and job creation to withstand these crisis.’’ he said.
In his message to KadInvest 7.0, President Muhammadu Buhari who was represented by the Minister of State Trade and Investment, Mariam Yalwaji Katagum, commended Kaduna state government for its investment drive: “I wish to commend the efforts of the Kaduna State to establish its credentials as the investment destination of choice in Nigeria. These efforts have received just recognition in the response of the business community which has brought new investments.”
On his part, the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2023 presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, hailed governor El-Rufai for transforming Kaduna state.
(leadership.ng)
