Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state has called on investors both local and foreign to invest in the over 25 mineral deposits available in the state, adding that the state will commence exportation of lithium by December 2022.
Speaking at the 7th edition of Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit tagged KADInvest 7.0 on Saturday with the theme “Building a Resilient Economy”, el-Rufai said the state’s investment drive for the past seven years has created 75, 750 jobs and brought a slew of industries into the state.
He cited abundance of natural resources, a productive workforce, steady economic growth and being the gateway to the Northern market as some of the reasons why investors should come to Kaduna.
“Kaduna state government has attracted a total investment portfolio of $4.488 billion comprising actualized and announced investments, and has created 75,750 direct and indirect jobs, in the last seven years. The 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.
“Kaduna state is rich in mineral resources as it has over 25 non-oil mineral deposits, including lithium, gold, iron ore and marble. Kaduna state would start exporting lithium to the world before the end of the year.
‘’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. Kaduna state is the third biggest consumer market in Nigeria, the third most populous state in Nigeria and has 52% of Nigeria’s consumer market,” he said.
The governor also listed some of the major achievements of his administration, which include raking in N52 billion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in 2021 from 11 billion in 2015 when he assumed office.
He also said the remodeled Murtala Muhammed Square commissioned in January 2022 now has world class sporting facilities, shopping malls, restaurants and various recreational centres.
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-flyover bridge, which has dual carriageway and three ground rotaries, Aliyu Makama Road in Barnawa, the Leventis Underpass, were all commissioned by the president.
“Kaduna state government 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. 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.
“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. Kaduna state government signed a technical and management service agreement with Doctors Clinic Company of the United Arab Emirates on the 300 bed hospital. We 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.
“Government flagged off the third phase of disbursement of loans to women entrepreneurs under the Kaduna State Women Empowerment Fund KADSWEF 3.0,” he said.
Governor el-Rufai said it was necessary for government to be innovative, especially in the wake of the global economic slowdown and to sustain reforms into the next administration.
He added 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.