Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai
• Osun, Chinese firm plan N216b industrial park
The Presidency yesterday scored Kaduna State Government high in the promotion of investments and ease of doing business in the country.The benchmark established by the Federal Government in assessing the state government was announced by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, who declared that Kaduna was leading in the ease of doing business matrix.
Speaking with journalists at the World Bank Sub-National ease of doing business methodology workshop for the 19 Northern states in Kaduna, Oduwole, while commending the efforts of Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s investments drive, said the diversification of the economy and export drive would further improve the nation’s position in the World Bank ease of doing business ranking.
Oduwole, who is also Secretary of Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said the Federal Government took a significant step towards making it easier for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to do business in Nigeria.
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“We want to make business work in Nigeria. By that, we want the country to be a progressively easier place to do business for domestic and international investors. That is our mandate and that is what drives us. Kaduna State is at the forefront in the ease of doing business in Nigeria,” he said.
Speaking, Deputy Governor, Barnabas Yusuf Bala, said the ease of doing business programme was part of reforms in Kaduna State to remove hindrances to economic growth and encourage more businesses in the state.
Bala explained that part of measures to simplify ease of doing business in the state was the establishment of the Kaduna State Investment Promotion Agency (KADIPA), as a one-stop shop for investors.
Meanwhile, effort by the Osun State government to attract investors to enhance development of the state may have yielded positive results, as the state government has sealed a N216 billion deal with a Chinese firm, Jiangsu Wuxi Taihu Cocoa Food Company Limited, for the establishment of an industrial park in the state.
During the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at Government House Banquet Hall in Osogbo, Governor Rauf Aregbesola stated that the state would allocate 200 hectares of land to facilitate the establishment of the park.
The partnership, he said, would support the state on six different investments including cocoa bean processing, chocolate and food processing, salt processing, cassava starch processing, gold mining and power plants.
The total investment by Jiangsu Wuxi Taihu Cocoa Food Company Limited on the Industrial Park is $600 million, which he described as part of his administration’s efforts to raise the bar of local and foreign investment in the state.
Aregbesola noted that the agreement would go a long way to support the economic drive of the state, particularly in its quest for industrialisation.
Source: G Business
