From Agaju Madugba, Katsina
Katsina State government says the economic and investment summit it promoted in 2016 has begun to yield the desired benefits with the influx of various local and international investors establishing industries in parts of the state.
The development, according to the Director-General of the Katsina State Investment Promotion Agency, Ibrahim Jikamshi, may not be unconnected with the World Bank recent ranking the area fourth on the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria, after Kaduna, Jigawa and Kano states.
Jikamshi who briefed reporters on activities of his agency on Wednesday said that government had since begun the formalisation of some 6,000 businesses as part of gains of the economic and investment summit.
He noted that government leased the Katsina Songhai Initiative facility to Dangote Industries to, among things, upgrade the facility to an intentional research and training Institute.
“The facility will serve as research and training centre for all tertiary institutions across the West Africa,” he said adding that the development of a large scale tomoto production and processing plant at Zobe Dam was in progress.
Moreover, as he put it, the facility will be used as an out- grower farmer support centre, agricultural services training and youth farmer empowerment programme.
“Realising the fact that government alone cannot provide the needed welfare to her citizens, and recognising the role of the private sector in stimulating economic growth especially employment generation, the state government, signed an MOU with a private company with aim of establishing a special economic zone where investors will be invited to set up industries under the assurance of 100 per cent availability of green power.
“The economic zone is to be located on an 800 hectar plot of land along Katsina–Jibia road,” he said.
