Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State says he expects the Kaduna Smart City project to attract at least $150m in foreign direct investment and create 500,000 indirect jobs.
“In terms of the volume of the investment, we are thinking it will attract at least one $150 million investment to Kaduna,” Sani told State House Correspondents in Abuja on Friday after a condolence visit to Vice President Kashim Shettima over the devastating flood incident in Borno State.
His comments came a week after he signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Huawei Technologies Limited to establish the Kaduna Smart City Project.
President Bola Tinubu, some ministers and other senior government officials witnessed the signing ceremony on the sidelines of the just-concluded Forum on China-Africa Cooperation at the company’s corporate headquarters in Beijing, China.
Sani signed on behalf of the Kaduna State Government, while the Chief Executive Officer of Huawei Technologies, Chris Lu, signed on behalf of the company.
He noted that the project has generated interest from private investors and is poised to create 100,000 direct and 500,000 indirect jobs for the people.
“Many other private investors are trying to key into the smart city MOU. First, it will create about 100,000 jobs, that is, direct jobs; indirect jobs could be up to 500,000.
“Before this, we signed an agreement with Google, where about 5000 women have been trained and supported in the digital economy between conventional government and Google, so most of them will key into this.
“Because of that, more people will be able to be employed and self-employed. Before that, we have attracted over $350m from Chinese companies in the last seven months in Kaduna in the area of solid resources, in the area of infrastructural development, and agriculture. So that’s what is happening.”
Announcing the agreement on September 3, 2024, Sani said, “The MOU is for the actualisation of the Smart City Project in Kaduna State.
“It is geared towards enhancing security, efficiency and transparency in public service, competitiveness, city management, and attracting talents and investments. The ultimate goal is the establishment of a safer and smarter Kaduna State.
“As the strategic partner of the Kaduna State Government, Huawei will provide comprehensive leading solutions and professional technical support for Kaduna State in the following areas: (i) State-Level Unified Command Center (ii) Enhanced Security (iii) Intelligent Traffic System (iv) E-Government and Office Automation (v) Smart Education (vi) Smart Healthcare (vii) ICT Talent (viii) Renewable Energy, and (ix) Public Transportation.”
He also gave updates on the implementation, saying he had created a committee between the Kaduna State Government and Huawei to realise the MOU within the specified timeframe.
“After the signing of the bilateral and MOUs between the Nigerian and Chinese governments, we at the level of sub-national, that is Kaduna State Government, also signed an MOU with Huawei Technologists Limited on Kaduna Smart City, that would enhance security, also improve the levels of efficiency and transparency in public service, create smart healthcare system, smart education, smart public transportation, as well as e-government.
“When we returned a few days ago, we set up a committee between Kaduna State Government and Huawei to implement the MoU and the timeline.
“I have no doubt in my mind about this; that is why we’re trying, as much as possible, to implement the MOU within the time frame,” Sani stated.
The governor said he is visiting Shettima to commiserate with him over the devastating flood crisis in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, where he served as Governor from 2011 until 2019.
Borno State in Northeast Nigeria is facing its worst flood in recent decades with thousands of residents fleeing their homes overtaken by water following the collapse of the Alau dam in the state.
Government facilities such as a Post Office office and the Maiduguri Teaching Hospital have been affected, including one cemetery and a zoo, as wild animals scampered for safety.
Sani, who described the flood as a “tragedy” and an “unfortunate incident,” said it could have been averted but for the “negligence of some people.”
He said, “I came here personally to commiserate with the Vice President on what happened in Maiduguri, the issue of flood disaster. For me, it was really a tragedy because over 100 lives were lost as of yesterday. It’s really a tragedy. It’s an unfortunate incident. The Government of Borno State and the Federal Government are working to ensure that more lives are saved and people return back to their homes safely.
“We also encounter problems in Kaduna because of the flood. We’ve been very proactive and our agency, which is the environmental management agency, is also working around the clock to ensure that we provide necessary support and assistance to the victims, as well as educating people also to be vigilant.
“Most of these problems are natural disasters, and some happen because of people’s negligence. However, people need to be educated, and we’ll do everything to ensure that we address the problems. (PUNCH)
