The Kaduna State government has attracted a total investment portfolio of $4.48 billion comprising actualised and announced investments in the last seven years, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has said.

In his presentation at the seventh Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit on Saturday, the governor said the efforts had created 75,750 direct and indirect jobs.

According to him, the flow of investments results from the state government’s continuous effort to provide a conducive environment for the private sector to drive the economy through numerous policy actions and reforms.

The governor gave a recap of what his administration has achieved since inception and why investors should invest in Kaduna state.

“Kaduna state is also the most improved state in the 2018 Ease of Doing Business Subnational report by the World Bank, and it has a very investor-friendly environment,” he added.

Mr El-Rufai further said the state “is also the third biggest consumer market in Nigeria, the third most populous state in Nigeria and has 52% of Nigeria’s consumer market.”

The governor said one of the major achievements of his administration was raising N52 billion in Internally Generated Revenue in 2021, as against N11 billion in 2015, when he assumed office.

He listed other achievements as the remodelling of Murtala Muhammed Square, which now has world-class sporting facilities, shopping malls, restaurants and various recreational centres.

Others are the construction of urban roads in Kaduna, Kafanchan and Zaria, the upgrade of schools infrastructure, construction of the Kawo and Barnawa flyovers.

“KDSG has handed over Zaria Pharmaceuticals to private investors who will produce syringes, intravenous fluids and specimen bottles.

“The revamped company is expected to create 200 direct and over 1,000 indirect jobs,” he added.

According to him, the government has offered loans to women and built a Technology Cit at Barnawa, with CoLab Innovation Campus as the anchor tenant.

“KDSG signed a technical and management service agreement with Doctors Clinic Company of the United Arab Emirates on the 300-bed hospital at Millennium City.

“In addition, it also signed an agreement with Elekta for the purchase of equipment for the nuclear medicine and oncology centre at the hospital. This will expand the national capacity for treating cancer,” he said.

(NAN)