Ganduje speeds up textile hub in Kano with $600m Chinese firm deal
As part of his efforts to return Kano State back to its prestigious glory days of textile boom, the administration of the Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje on Wednesday, sealed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Chinese firm, Shandong Ruyi Technology Group of China, to establish a $600million Textile Industrial Park in Kano.
Ganduje, is currently on working visit to China, informed his host that Kano has put in place facilities for textile clusters across its 44 local government areas.
Business Hilights gathered that Shandong Ruyi is China’s leading innovative technology textile enterprise, and the planned multi-million dollar investment in Kano will be its biggest in Africa, upon completion.
The deal sealed in far away China city of Shandong was part of the government’s resolve to fast track existing industrial relations between China and Kano in commerce.
In a statement issued by the Director General, Media and Publicity, to Kano State Government, and made available to our Northern Nigeria Bureau Chief based in Abuja, indicated that the MoU was signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Usman Alhaji, and the company’s chairman, Yafu Qiu, on behalf of Kano and the Chinese firm.
In his remarks shortly after the signing ceremony, Governor Umar Ganduje, averred that the business opportunity when actualised will be the biggest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the state in recent time.
Part of the preliminary takeoff of the partnership will, among other things, be the immediate visit of the Chinese group to Kano State as soon as possible to confirm the readiness of the state government in the new partnership.
In his goodwill message, Governor Umar Ganduje said “I thank you for the invitation to visit one of your factories and from what I have seen in your production line, your facilities are world-class. “One can only imagine the number of jobs that would be created, and the value that would be added to our economy when your plant commences operation in Kano”.
He noted that business enabling environments are on ground in Kano, adding that his government is taking steps to ensure that Kano became the number one destination for investment opportunity not only in Nigeria, but in the West Africa sub-region.
Speaking, the Ruyi Group Chairman, Yafu Qiu, said the investment agreement entered with Kano state government is to hasten growth and support global development in Nigeria.
Qiu added that “Ruyi Company would also look at the possibility of executing a solar power project specifically for the Textile Industrial Park, and we also have the desire to collaborate with the government towards enhancing the capacity of its on-going Hydro Power project at Tiga and Challawa.”
It would be recalled Kano had been the hub of Nigeria’s textile industry serving both the nation and neighbouring countries of Niger, Chat and Cameroon.
