Assures completion of free trade zones

Kano state government will take more proactive steps towards actualising the Panisau Free Trade and Dala Inland Dry Port in the state, Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has assured.
The free zone at Panisau commenced in 1992, while Dala Dry Port at Zawachiki started formally in 2006. Regrettably, both have continued to face completion challenges.
Ganduje assured that, while the Panisau free zone will soon be partially privatised, the bottlenecks being faced by Dala would be removed.
the governor disclosed this yesterday in Abuja shortly after a meeting with the Managing Director of Ruyi Group, the Chinese textiles and garments industry that bought African Textile Manufacturers Company at Challawa, Kano, Mr. Sun, the Special Assistant to the chairman, Mr. Weidong Wang, top executives of the Bank of Industry, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Mr. Femi Edun and a technical assistant in the office of the Vice President, Mr. Kolawole Omole, at the Bank of Industry headquarters.
Represented by the state Commissioner for Commerce, Ahmad Rabi’u, Ganduje said: “Kano will soon have opportunities to establish businesses in the two free zones. Panisau has 264 hectares, Dala has 200 hectares. There are also two other parcels of land for free zones, about 160 hectares at Kanye in Karaye and over 200 hectares in Ungoggo local government areas.”
He pointed out that his administration has invited investors and pledged to provide any support required, and demonstrated his commitment through various actions in granting concessions, providing land and joining the projects as public private partnership.
“This is the time to invest in Kano as Kano is continuing to earn awards for being the most improved state on ease of doing business.
Seeing or meeting the governor whenever required is there for the asking. Kano people are agreed to be the most hospitable people, highly industrious and business oriented,” the governor stressed.
On the meeting with the Chinese investor, Ganduje hinted that “itreviewed the BOI intervention and the actualisation of the Ruyi /ATM takeover, the establishment of a Textile and Garment Industrial Park in Kano and one each in the Eastern and Western regions. Varying incentives packages were revealed.”
“The Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) was extensively discussed. Importantly, the actualisation of the free zones in Kano was discussed extensively,” he added.