From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Kaduna State Government has attracted US$4.488 billion in investments comprising actualised and announced investments, even as it has created 75, 750 direct and indirect jobs, in the last seven years.
The government has also been providing an environment conducive 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.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai made this known in his presentation yesterday at the 7th edition of the Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit (KadInvest 7.0), which commenced on Thursday.
The governor who gave a recap of what his administration had achieved since inception, explained why investors should invest in Kaduna State, citing the abundance of natural resources, a productive workforce, steady economic growth, and the gateway to the northern market.
‘’Kaduna State is also the most improved state in the 2018 Ease of Doing Business Sub National Report by the World Bank and it has a very investor-friendly environment,’’ he said.
El Rufai further said: “Kaduna State is also the third biggest consumer market in Nigeria, the third most populous state in Nigeria, and has 52 percent 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.’’
The governor also listed some of the major achievements of his administration, which include 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 the re-modeled Murtala Muhammad Square was commissioned this year as it now has world-class sporting facilities, shopping malls, restaurants and various recreational centres.