Gov Ganduje, do something about ailing industries

I wish to draw the attention of the governor of Kano State,  Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, to the state of industries  and the need to rehabilitate those in bad condition and revive those that have already collapsed. Kano State, being the commercial hub of Northern Nigeria used to have many industries. However, according to available statistics, […]

I wish to draw the attention of the governor of Kano State,  Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, to the state of industries  and the need to rehabilitate those in bad condition and revive those that have already collapsed. Kano State, being the commercial hub of Northern Nigeria used to have many industries. However, according to available statistics, almost 400 of the industries are shut down and completely out of operation. One of the problems responsible for this development is the erratic power supply in the state.

It is worthy of note that the closure of these industries rendered about 20,000 people jobless. 

It would be recalled that at a point, Kano was the second largest industrial state after Lagos in Nigeria, and the largest in Northern Nigeria with textile, tanning, footwear, cosmetics, plastics, enamelware, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, furniture and other industries. Others include agricultural implements, soft drinks, food and beverages, dairy products, vegetable oil and animal feeds.

Thankfully, there has been considerable improvement in power supply in the state, hence I consider it important to call the governor’s attention to this issue and urge him to take measures to resuscitate collapsed industries. That will go a long way in reducing unemployment rate in Kano State.

It is a well-known fact that poverty and unemployment can be eradicated quickly through industrialization. The slow growth of the industrial sector is responsible for widespread poverty and mass unemployment. So with accelerated growth in the industrial sector, that problem can easily be tackled.

When the industries become functional, they will stimulate economic activities and improve internal revenue base of the state as well as reduce crime rate that is on the increase due to increase in unemployment.

Ibrahim Adam wrote from Kano, and can be reached at:[email protected]