By; FUNMI ADERINTO, Kaduna
Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai of Kaduna State, has commissioned several projects around the state to showcase elaborate plans for building a Kaduna of the future.
Kaduna State Governor and his deputy Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe led a delegation of Kaduna State Government officials and other invited guests who attended the 7th edition of the Kaduna Investment Summit (KADINVEST) to commission projects in the state.
The governor commissioned the Kaduna Computerized Vehicle Inspection Services Centre, located in Mando, as part of building a resilient economy in the state.
He also commissioned the Kaduna Galaxy Mall and Neighbourhood Centre.
Galaxy Mall occupies 5.7 hectares expanse of land, located at the heart of the Kaduna Central Business District.
The mall contains retail stores in different sizes, restaurants, cinema, and a major anchor tenant, Shoprite Nigeria.
Other facilities include a Gate-house, parking pay points, water treatment building, restrooms and a 505 capacity car park to ensure a wholesome experience for all residents and visitors.
Similarly, the governor also commissioned AMMASCO Neighborhood Center, located at Race Course, Kaduna, the neighborhood center has a shopping mall and food courts.
The governor also commissioned AFEX Grain Quality Enhancement Center in Makarfi Local Government Area as part of the activities of the KADINVEST 7.0.
AFEX Grain Quality Enhancement Center with the capacity of processing 100,000 metric tonnes annually.
It is expected to provide over 250 direct jobs and over 100,000 indirect jobs.
In addition, a memorandum of understanding for the development of a Film Village in Kaduna State was signed.
The signing took place at the ongoing Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit and was done by the Administrator Kaduna Capital Territory Authority Mohammad Hafiz Bayero and the Kaduna State Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (KADCCIMA) to establish a film village at the Tradefair Complex in Rigachikun, Kaduna.
The Kaduna Film Village will boost and modernize the local film production structure and framework.
According to the PwC Global Entertainment and Media Outlook for 2020-2024, “Nigeria’s media and entertainment industry is one of the fastest-growing creative industries in the world.
It has the potential to become the country’s greatest export, with a projected annual growth rate of 8.6% and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.3% from 2018-2023.”
The Kaduna Film Village upon completion, will provide job opportunities to performing artistes, actors, cinematographers, writers, directors, make-up artists, cinematographers, audio-visual editors and others.
Briefing the press ahead of the summit, the Executive Secretary, Kaduna Economic and investment Summit (KADINVEST 7.0) said Kaduna State attracted over $900 million investment since 2021.
KADINVEST 7.0 which was held between October 13 to 15, 2022, with the theme, ‘’Building a Resilient Economy,’’ was attended by several domestic and foreign companies.
KADINVEST has also attracted many notable companies since 2016, including Olam Feeds and Hatchery Mill, Mahindra Tractors Assembly Plant, OCP Fertiliser and Dangote Peugeot Automobiles.
Others are African Natural Resources and Mines Limited and Tomato Jos, an agro-processing company which produces high-quality tomato paste, as some of the companies that KADIPA has attracted to the state.
“The investments are both Domestic Direct Investment (DDI) and Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), like Zipline, a company delivering medical supplies to hard-to-reach places using drones.
“The Kadinvest 7.0 has run for three days and is highly interactive, consisting of a pre-summit event and main summit with presentations that will highlight Kaduna state’s progress in line with the theme.
”The expo cover the technology, agriculture, infrastructure and the solid minerals sector. Part of the objectives of the expo is to get young people invested in agriculture, market the opportunities in the Kaduna solid mineral sector, and to understand policy initiatives to promote technology as part of the Kaduna State Development Plan (2021 – 2025).” the executive said.
After the business, Governor el-Rufai commissioned several projects across the state, amongst the notable speakers at the Kadinvest 7.0 was Muhammad Sanusi II, amongst others.
