The European Union (EU) Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, has commended Kano’s investment and entrepreneurship potential in many sectors, such as agriculture, renewable energy, innovation, digitalisation, health, and education.
Ambassador Mignot stated this during a courtesy visit to the governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, who was in the company of implementing partners like Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), and others.
He said, “We have an agenda focusing on the green and digital economy, to see how we can partner and increase our presence in the Northwest and Northeast of the country, and to address specific challenges in the region.
“Kano State is really a development platform not only for the Northwest but the Sahel region. We see great potential and many opportunities in Kano State. So, we want to partner in trade and investment. This is in line with our Global Gateway Strategy, working with our member states, that is, Team Europe, and the European Investment Bank.
“We also try to mobilise a full range of our funding instruments like grants, loans, guarantees, and others. We want to partner in line with the country’s priorities at the federal and state governments.”
Revealing further the importance of the delegation’s visit, he said, “We try to leverage more investments and work more closely with the private sector to accelerate investments, with the end purpose to create more jobs and opportunities for young people and women.
“During our visit, we want to review past projects to see how they are doing several years after their commissioning. We are also reviewing ongoing projects in the digital sector. We want to launch new projects. It is also very important to hear the vision, ideas, suggestions, and needs of the state from the governor.”
In his remarks, the governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, stated that Kano, the country’s most populous state and centre of commerce, is ready to collaborate on sustainable development projects.
He appreciated the EU for choosing the state for a broader celebration of Europe Month through a lecture and stakeholder meetings.
“Kano is happy to receive the EU Delegation. Congratulations to the EU on celebrating Europe Day on 9 May. We also want to thank the EU for choosing Kano for a broader celebration through lectures, meetings with business communities, government officials, stakeholders, and experts on sectors such as energy, agriculture, rural development, investment, digital economy, and others.
“Kano, being the most populated state in Nigeria and the centre of commerce, we need more cooperation and collaboration with the EU. We are particularly keen to engage in discussions and explore the potential for further collaboration. We recognise the efforts of the EU in bringing many developments to the state. We, however, appeal for more.
“We are grateful for the EU contribution, but Kano State needs more. We believe that with your interaction with key stakeholders in the state, we can have a common ground of cooperation and understanding.”
