Kano signs $3.98bn, N168bn MoU with 10 international, local companies

KANO state government has signed over $3.98 billion and N168 billion Memorandum of Understating (MoU) with ten local and international companies, with a stern warning to ministries not to used red-tapism and bureaucracy to hinder and jeopardise effort of investors from carrying out their work and established their companies

The State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje ,who gave the warning shortly ,after the ten companies have signed the MoU, “We will not tolerate any red-tapism , we will not tolerate any bureaucracy–that is why we have established the investment promotion agency. So, if there is any obstacle, if there is any sabotage, if there is any go-slow, if there is any diversion along the process of implementation, please come to the governor straight.”

These companies are Brains and Harmers;#165 billion ,Multivision Nigeria Limited ;N2 billion ,Milestone International; $630 million, Blackrihino and Dangote consulting $150 million, Broadbase Nigeria Limited; $200 million, Eighteenth Engineering company $1.8 billion, Arewa Solar PV Synergy  $150 million ,Shara Dukiya Nigeria Limited; $100 million ,Dangote Rice; $830 million and Qingdao Stmeer Solar energy international; $120 million

His words, Electricity is a big problem–everybody knows, electricity is one of the things that made our industries to collapse. So, that is why we decided in getting three investors in the area of electricity to get us 100MW of Solar system. They will not wait for gas from the riverrine areas, because they will say there is no pipeline.”

According to him, The investors will use their own technology and we believe this will happen. On our part, land is already being provided. Certificate of occupancy is already being provided. All other logistics is being provided, and there is no time to waste on that. The ICT which will produce fibre cable will also start. For transportation, we have the light rail from China which will move goods and services, not only for passengers, but also goods and services.

We believe these things will assist Kano to become a mega city, and this will improve our Internally Generated Revenue, and this will also give us the capacity to continue to develop our city. I will like to inform you that this Economic Summit is going to be a yearly affair. Let me assure you that we shall be here again and to assess how far we have gone on this 10 investments; and additional investments which we would have attracted before next year.

So, I call upon these investors to understand that we are very serious and we are expecting a very serious approach by the investors.

We will not tolerate any red-tapism , we will not tolerate any bureaucracy–that is why we have established the investment promotion agency. So, if there is any obstacle, if there is any sabotage, if there is any go-slow, if there is any diversion along the process of implementation, please come to the governor straight.

If there is obstacle from the Federal Government, we are ready to go and beg Mr President or the Minister who is concerned. We want to see how much we have achieved by this time next year along this line.

Kano used to be a city, but we want it to become a mega city, a place where things are working, where services are working and electricity available without interruption and are adequate for industries; and adequate for private consumption. A mega city is a city where transportation system is efficient, a mega city is a place where industrial development is optimum so that there will be minimum level of unemployment.

A mega-city is a place where commercial activities are modernized so that foreigners who are used to commercial in foreign lands are treated in the same manner so that business activities will flourish. A mega city is a place where you have maximum security. Taking into consideration all these variables, so far, what we have….

When we are talking of Kano being a commercial city historically, by the construction of KANAWA International city, which will be the largest market in West Africa, we are only confirming history of over 1000 years ago when Kano was the largest market not only in West Africa, but in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. We have link with North Africa through sub-Saharan trade.

Now, to have a market which is large and a replica of what is happening in Dubai–investors themselves were in Dubai and they have seen what is happening there, the Nation of Dubai is a small of Kano, but Dubai is a collection of international communities, that make things to move forward and I believe that here, with our own intellect, we will be able to do it.