By Muhsin Alhassan
Before taking the mantle of leadership as Governor of Kano state, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf developed a clear vision of industrialization, taking cognisance of the business and economic viability of Kano in the Northern region.
For centuries, Kano has remained a major economic centre in the African region, a vital hub for Trans-Saharan trade, facilitating the exchange of goods like kola nuts, cloth, and leather for salt, weapons, and manufactured goods.
Governor Abba Yusuf’s broad understanding of commerce, trade, investment opportunities and creating an enabling environment for corporate entities to strive left no one in doubt about his unwavering commitment to rebuild and rebrand the economic potential of the ancient city to compete with industrial and megacities in Africa.
On assumption as Chief Executive of the state, Governor Yusuf, who had earlier set his eyes on target to visualize the vision as conceptualised in his blueprint and campaign promises hinged on industrialization and commerce.
In the blueprint, the award-winning Governor on education and empowerment planned to create an enabling environment for Kano to be ranked highest on ease of doing business and support micro, small and medium enterprises for wealth creation as well as reviving moribund industries and businesses in the state.
To execute the huge mandate, Governor Yusuf searched for the right man for the job and rightly settled for the choice of one of his confident and former Chief of Staff, Alh. Shehu Sagagi, whose wealth of experience in both public and private business ecosystems, speaks volumes of capacity and competency.
With a clear mandate to turn around the system, ‘Goni’ Sagagi immediately swung into action, injecting a breath of fresh air into trade, commerce, industries and bilateral investment environment, leaving no stone unturned to make Kano an attraction and destination for unlimited business opportunities.
Goni Sagagi, a strong torchbearer of Governor Yusuf’s mandate in the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Commerce, has made a significant impact and recorded success, giving the business environment a facelift.
For the first time in history, the Ministry approved the establishment of a private export processing zone in the two senatorial zones to widen the ease of doing business in Kano. The new zone will also serve side by side in trade and investment opportunities with the existing Federal Government trade zone.
Another giant stride recorded by Governor Abba Yusuf under the ministry was the approval for the resuscitation of the 44 garment centres abandoned by the last administration for eight years. With the reopening of the garment clusters, the centres have opened a new vista of training and job opportunities to over 10,000 youths.
Similarly, the Ministry of Investment under Sagagi constituted a technical committee for the establishment and promotion of a commodity exchange market to boost trade and commerce that will facilitate access to agricultural produce to the international market.
Sagagi has also opened up an additional common facility centre for shoe and bag making to accommodate more women entrepreneurs, making them self-reliant and reducing poverty and gender-based violence in Kano.
Again, part of the success stories recorded under Sagagi since he took over as Commissioner at the Ministry was the idea of the Ramadan Trade Fair, the first of its kind that brought the business community in the commodity market and traders across the major markets together to sell their products at largely discounted cost.
The gesture came timely enough to offer succour and intervention to a large number of middle and low-class earners to provide for their families. The initiative was timely when prices of foods were hitting the ceiling.
Still in the days under review, Alh. Shehu Sagagi engaged market leadership and settled disputes as well as embarking on a solidarity visit to the business environment.
The Ministry was able to, under the government Economic Policy Initiative, introduce policies for hiring local workers against exploitation. The government had also approved the setting up of an IT unit in the ministry.
In the interim, Goni Sagagi has concluded necessary plans to upgrade infrastructure in local marketplaces like Tarauni, Sheka, Gyadi-Gyadi, and others. The Ministry is also committed to elevating the Danbatta, Wudil, and Kura weekly market to bi-weekly spending to upscale trade volumes.
Nevertheless, Goni Sagagi has repositioned the mission and strategies on how to monitor and broaden the scope of business opportunities and committed to attracting investors.
With the opportunity afforded by Governor Abba Yusuf to serve the good people of Kano, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Commerce has renewed vigour to go the extra mile to build a conducive atmosphere for the Kano economy to flourish.