The Executive Secretary of Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency (KADIPA), Khalil Nur Khalil, has said the mission of the board and management is to make it a world-class investment promotion agency.

Khalil said KADIPA has joined the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (IPA) to see what other members were doing, explore capacity-building opportunities and networking opportunities in the World Investment Conference.

He said this while speaking at a press briefing to mark his one year in office on Thursday.

The KADIPA boss said some of the initiatives of the board and management have been fruitful, noting that the agency surpassed its 2022 set target of $500 million worth of investments in the first quarter and increased the investment portfolio to $1 billion.

“Investment figures for the 2nd Quarter 2022 tallied at $36 million worth of actualised investments in various sectors across the LGAs in the state.

“We recorded $112.7 million in announced pledges bringing the 2nd quarter figures to a total of $148.7 million, thereby increasing the state’s total investment Portfolio to $4.35 billion, representing a 3.6% growth for the quarter. The chief objective for all these is job creation,” he said.

Khalil said KADIPA “facilitated the investments of 18 companies and recommended them to KADGIS for land allocation. We handed over sites to investors in Kubau LGA, the Kangimi Layout, GAAIZ, Rabah Link Road, and the Afaka layout, all of which have mobilised to site.”

“Furthermore, KADIPA has assisted the state in generating revenues of N236.6 million through payments of premiums by greenfield investors that have been allocated land and brownfield investments via payments received from the privatization of state-owned assets,” he added.

Listing the initiatives that KADIPA embarked on that enabled its achievements in the last one year, Khalil said: “Similarly, we organised Peer Learning Sessions with South Africa, Ghana, Rwanda, and DFID-LINKS Due Diligence Workshop. We are actively looking for opportunities to learn.

“We rejigged our media infrastructure and embarked on strategic promotional interviews to advertise Kaduna State and the investment opportunities with national TV networks, national dailies, and radio stations both in English and Hausa.

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“We deployed promotional materials including flyers with QR codes to our publications. We printed and made these available to investors. Our marketing of Industrial Zones and layouts of the two Industrials Zones and various approved layouts has remained consistent across social media platforms.”

He stated that KADIPA’s renewed investment drive encouraged creativity, adding that “this is why our investor targeting has been deliberate and strategic.

“We regularly engage embassies, developmental agencies for partnership and capacity building initiatives.

“To promote networking amongst businesspersons in the state, we organize quarterly Business World Breakfast where we meet with business people in the state and listen to their challenges.

“And to ensure that business in the state are retained and encouraged to expand, we carryout weekly AfterCare services, where we visit businesses within the state to hear their challenges and understand areas the Kaduna State Government can help remove encumbrances,” he added.

Khalil recalled that Governor Nasir El-Rufai also commissioned eight projects, including the N2 billion Falgates Foods’ Rice Mill with 100, 000 metric ton capacity per annum located at Sobawa, Rigachikun.

According to him, the governor also commissioned the AFEX’s Aggregation and Processing Centre, an agricultural commodity warehouse and multi-grains processing plant, to help farmers in the state prepare and market their produce.

“A computerised vehicle inspection services center located at Mando, which provides automated checks for all vehicle types was also commissioned.

“In addition, El-Rufai also commissioned the Kaduna Galaxy Mall, a multipurpose shopping mall that houses food courts and cinemas for Kaduna residents to shop and have a good time.

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“Ammsco Neighborhood Centre, which has shopping mall and food court, was also commissioned by His Excellency,” Khalil said.

The KADIPA Executive Secretary further expressed gratitude to Governor El-Rufai for believing in the capacity of the youths, just as he thanked the Deputy Governor of Kaduna state and Chairman of the KADIPA Board, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, and the Vice Chairman, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, for their support, advice, and direction to the agency.

Khalil equally thanked his predecessors for their efforts, the Commissioner of Business, Innovation and Technology, Prof. Kabir Mato, the Local Organising Committee of KadInvest 7.0 as well as the management and staff of KADIPA for making the last KadInvest successful.

The Star