How would you assess the current business and investment climate in Kano, especially with government policies affecting trade and industries?
The current situation of the economy, honestly, is not favourable to the businessmen and women. Government ought to carry out awareness campaign before introducing new policies. Most of our Kano business people, majority of them, we can say they are informal sectors. That is why we are left behind in achieving some policies that the government implement.
So what is your overall assessment of the business environment in Kano?
We cannot say it’s good. It’s fair. In Kano before, we had many industries that are working, but now you can count a little that are operational due to lack of two things. The first one is the lack of resources and the interest rate that the commercial banks are charging is not favourable to the business people. Whoever goes to that side, at the end, he will be a victim of such circumstances because the charges are so high and with so many competitors here in Kano – with the foreign people that are residing in Kano, honestly the government is not protecting the local. The foreign people are competing in every aspect with the local people present and the way they assess their money is different.
Some of them, they are coming with zero interest while some of them, the highest is 4%. How can you compare with someone with 27-35%? It cannot work. That is why if you look at the major business in the area of import and exports, if you go deeper, majority of our people, they are commission agents because there are some people that are residing in Kano that are having an upper hand than our local people.
What specific steps is KACCIMA taking to support SMEs in accessing finance and markets?
The role of KACCIMA is protecting and promoting sensitisation awareness to the policy that the government has implemented. So KACCIMA is working now to see how they can help the SMEs to grow by reaching the public banks with lower charges, of less than a digit – below nine; and we are working with them to see how we can work together. Our people have benefited from the funds they have available and there is a window for a grant that for a minor business people that they can benefit on, we are still working on it.
Kano was once the commercial hub of northern Nigeria. What strategies has KACCIMA adopted to revive the state’s industrial base and attract investors?
Honestly, Kano, not once, still, is a commercial centre for the entire sub-Saharan region, because in the entire continent of Africa, there is no market like Kano markets. Kano market is reaching minimum of 20 countries out of 54 countries in Africa. They are doing business from Kano on a daily basis.
As KACCIMA, we are working very hard to see that our people has the benefit of the potential they have of the markets, that is how our industry will be revived and how our people will have access to the finance, because we have an opportunity of, we are one of the best, cheapest labour industry on the earth, because in Kano still, people are working and getting less than one dollar a day. So it is a plus to the investors and the manufacturer, and we as KACCIMA, we are not looking for investors, we are looking for collaborators.
We are not looking for somebody that can invest and give us a penny. We are looking for a collaborator who will come with his skills, with resources, we have a platform and we have a market. Join together and the economy will grow, the security of the country will improve.
Is there anything specific efforts made by the chamber to revive moribund industries in the state?
We are working on that, even by tomorrow I am going to Istanbul on the same purposes, because we had a meeting with the Turkish ambassador here and he arranged a meeting in his country with the Minister of Trade and Investment over there, to see how we can join hands with them in the area of renewable energy, because it is a key. If we don’t have power, there is no manufacturing. So we are working on that and we are also bringing some Turkish companies to come here to settle so that we can partner to see how those Marabond companies will pick up.
How significant is Kano International Trade Fair in promoting regional and international trade?
The Kano Trade Fair we are going to hold is 46th Fair; we are now 46 years organising this International Trade Fair, and this year insha Allah, it will be great, it will be better than previous ones. We are working tirelessly to bring those that have not come before, for now we have a commitment with about 10 to 15 countries outside the world – they are bringing delegations, and we are expecting to have at least between 700 to 1000 exhibitors in this year’s Fair. And also, by God willing, we are hoping the Vice President of the country, is the one who is going to declare this Trade Fair open, and we are bringing some foreign diplomats who will develop the interest to come and see what is in Kano and what is the economic potential that is in Kano and beyond.
This International Trade Fair of Kano is not only for Kano, people across the country are coming to showcase the economic potential they have in their localities so that an engagement will start – how they can explore the opportunity around that area.
Any other features expected at the fair aside efrom the people coming?
We have people coming across northern Nigeria to showcase their talents of what they have innovated to be displayed at the fair; that would provide a platform in which they would get partners which could be beneficial not just for the country but the whole world.
Power supply and infrastructure remain major challenges. Is KACCIMA engaging the state government on this?
We have a very robust relationship with the state government and we are working tirelessly on infrastructures and power to ensure businesses right from the markets to the new industrial layouts that is going to be established and other areas of industries such as Bompai, Dakata, Sharada, and Challawa, inshallah. We are working with them to see that if it is completed by the first quarter of next year.
Agriculture remains a major part of Kano’s economy, how is KACCIMA supporting agribusinesses, farmers and processors to strengthen agricultural value chain addition?
We have sent some delegates to France to attend an agricultural expo to acquire more skill on how they can improve their agricultural processes. And we are working with the farmers here to add a value chain to go into processing of what they grow instead of selling them raw. By that, they can have a value chain and they can create job opportunities and economic growth for the state and the country in general.
Can you give us examples of these people you are partnering with and in what aspects specifically?
We are partnering with those that are going into processing and animal rearing. We have a project to start before end of the year or early next year. We are going to create a platform in every local government for fattening, whereby in each local government we are proposing to have 20 people in each LGA for the project for fattening cows and goats. We are about to finalise a deal with some Asian, Middle East country, in the area of meat. By this, we will be creating an international standard of abattoir here in the state, maybe around three or four will be established very soon. We want to create an environment where we have capacity to the standard of those people that may require the product.
Secondly, we are going to create a platform whereby the materials like the skin of the animals would be processed from SME to a larger level.
So given the large number of youth population in the state, how is the chamber working to harness their potential through entrepreneurship and innovation?
We are working and engaging with the youth groups to see how we can assist them to put them on the right direction. The chamber has a history of empowering youth in different sectors. Sometimes we get slots from our partners and countries such as Japan, China and India. We have also discussed that particular issue for the youth empowerment with the United Arab Emirates and by next year, inshallah the project will commence.
How many youths are we talking about so far empowered by the chamber and then, how many are you planning to empower next year?
We have empowered minimum of 1,500 and we are proposing inshallah before the next two years to empower minimum of 10,000 by God willing.
In what areas?
In different areas, such as capacity building, agriculture, SMEs and art work.
What is your long term vision for KACIMA under your leadership and how do you plan to position Kano as a leading industrial and commercial hub in Nigeria and West Africa?
We are hoping by God willing during our time to reach one of the best not just in Nigeria but in Africa. We have a mission to rebrand KACIMA and reposition it to the highest level. We have a plan to create a lot of things which we believe will help the economic and the people of the state in general.
What are some of the things you plan to achieve in the long term?
Okay, the first thing that we are going to expand the activities of KACIMA to the entire 44 local governments areas of the state, so that the economic potential local government will not be left behind and the local people who are in the local government will benefit from the certain policies that the government has implemented in every sector of the economy.
Second, we have a KACCIMA master plan which we are hoping inshallah by next year, this plan will be started. When we implement this plan KACCIMA will be one of the best not in Nigeria but in Africa because we have a structure which we think it will benefit our people.
What call do you want to make to the government on matters of industries in the state?
Honestly we appreciate the support of government to us but we urged the federal government not to leave Kano state behind to enjoy at least the dividend of the democracy because the state makes one of the best contribution to any government, so it should also be number one to benefit on every policy that the government has implemented. If you look at the programme in the western part of the country, you will see that, they are moving faster than us; so we are calling on the federal government to look at this issue to see how they can look at our side and see how our people will be helped. Let me give you one example – this CNG projects, the gas line projects. This gas line project was started for almost 7 years now and is not completed.
In the western part of the country now between Lagos and Ogun they have more than 20 or 30 similar to Kano and also infrastructure.
We have Kano/Abuja road, this road was under construction for almost 7 to 8 years. There is no justification. We have Kano Maiduguri road, this particular road they are still under construction for more than 8 years.
This is Nigeria. Nigeria belongs to all of us. The government has to be fair to each and every region.
We are not asking to have an upper hand but we are asking to have a fair and justify in everything that is happening in this country due to our population and due to our contribution to every government coming to power.
We have so many industries that have closed down in Kano and moved to the west. Is there anything you are doing to see that more industries do not close or move out?
Two things are happening. That is why we are saying there is no fairness in some certain policies of the federal government.
The amount they are charging for electricity in the western part of the country is far, far differs with the one that they are charging in Kano. So, as KACCIMA, we will do everything possible to see that our people have justification. We are trying to engage the foreign partners who have a capacity to come back to Kano and engage on this renewable energy.
We are one of the best in Nigeria because in Kano you can form a method of energy minimum of four or five. We have the normal one that the people knew, a hydro. A hydro, we are one of the best that can accommodate hydro due to the dams that we have.
We have the other one, winds. The winds, we have a space that this method can be implemented over there. We have the solar one, which is the cheapest one.
We have the last one, the waste energy. Because of our population, Kano will be one of the best and cheapest place to have the cheaper energy in terms of waste due to our population. With these, we hope to provide cheaper power and revive local industries.
