Kaduna, MAN Host High -Level Stakeholders Forum To Tackle Business Huddles

In their commitment to boost industrial growth and investment, the Kaduna State Ministry of Business, Innovation and Technology (MBIT), in collaboration with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), convened a high-powered Stakeholders’ Forum on Ease of Doing Business.

The forum brought together key government officials, industry leaders, and heads of regulatory agencies to address bottlenecks stifling the business environment and to co-create actionable reforms to unlock Kaduna’s industrial potential.

Delivering her opening remarks, the Honourable Commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology, Mrs. Patience Fakai, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to economic transformation under Governor Uba Sani’s SUSTAIN Agenda.

“This forum is not just a meeting—it is a platform for collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving,” Fakai said.

“Our doors remain open for dialogue with stakeholders, because moving Kaduna forward is a collective responsibility.”

Fakai highlighted that Kaduna has put in place sector strategic teams to drive economic growth, adding that she personally leads the Ease of Doing Business Subcommittee under the Economic Development and Monitoring team.

She stressed the importance of public-private synergy in dismantling regulatory bottlenecks, improving infrastructure, and accelerating service delivery. She called for “frank and solution-driven discussions” focused on immediate interventions and long-term reforms.

The stakeholders forum with the theme, “Unlocking Kaduna’s Industrial Potential: Challenges, Solutions and  Policy Reforms”, set the tone for a robust and practical engagement between the government and the private sector.

Earlier in his welcome address, the vice chairman of MAN North West Zone, Ibrahim Muazu  Isa lauded the Kaduna State government for its continued collaboration with the private sector.

He noted that the forum provides manufacturers a rare opportunity to engage directly with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) on challenges such as tax multiplicity, poor infrastructure, and complex regulatory frameworks.

The 2024–2025 Survey on Business Challenges conducted by MAN and presented by Kabiru Kasim the North East chairman reveals serious concerns—uncoordinated levies, weak road networks, unstable power, and slow approvals,” he said.

In attendance at the stakeholders forum were representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Lands, Heads of KADIPA, KADIRS, KASUPDA, KADGIS, KASTLEA, KADSWAC, and KEPA, Captains of Industry among other invited guests.