Ganduje, briefs State House correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday,
September 2, 2020.
Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has said that
the multi-billion naira economic city under construction has
reached over 70%, as his administration hopes to boost commercial
activities in the country.
Speaking to State House correspondent on Wednesday, after a
closed-door meeting with vice president Yemi Osinbajo, Governor
Ganduje noted that the project has state-of-the-art features that
would boost productivity and service delivery.
The project, which sits on 117.2 hectares of land, was
commissioned in 2016.
It is a joint venture development agreement between the state
government and Brains and Hammers Ltd, and the Governor believes
the completion which is at an advanced stage will be an answer to
the over-populated markets in Kano.
“Kano is a megacity, highly populated and therefore commercial
activities must be encouraged, and so all the markets are terribly
filled up because we need to expand them.
“So to create a new economic city is the answer and it has
reached an advanced stage and there are so many facilities there;
apart from the shops, there are mega-hotels, banking halls, and
also, there are trailer parks and so many other things you expect
to see in an economic city and the work has reached over 70%,” the
Governor revealed.
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Funding Free Education
Governor Ganduje also informed journalists about the efforts his
administration is making to ensure that the compulsory free
education from basic to secondary is implemented.
He stated that an education promotion committee has been set up
with initial funding of N20 million for schools that need to be
renovated.
The Ganduje added that the committee would interface with
well-to-do indigenes from local governments who would contribute to
funding free education in the state.
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He said, “We have designed a package for direct labour,
rehabilitation, and renovation of our respective schools; now we
have created an education promotion committee and we have given
them the sum of N20 million to identify schools to be renovated,
with the scope of work to be undertaken and we have given them
three weeks to complete that project so that there will be a report
and our engineers will give a report.
“They will also invite the well-to-do indigenes of the local
government who will also provide their own contribution.”
The Governor added, “After completion of the report, they will
tell us how much they have been able to gather from the indigenes
of the local governments and then we will give them money, and you
know we have declared education to be free and compulsory from
basic to secondary, so we have to involve community
participation.”
Governor Ganduje also revealed that the state has been able to
pay up to date, the counterpart funding for the Universal Basic
Education Programme.
He also revealed how the state will generate adequate funds for
the free education initiative for school children in Kano.
“I am happy we have been paying our counterpart funding for UBEC
and we are up to date.
“And also, we have an education trust fund of which 5% of our
IGR and 5% of the revenue earning from the statutory allocation of
the local government and also, 2% of all contracts that have been
awarded in Kano. We opened a basket where we keep such funds,” the
governor stated.