By IBRAHEEM MUSA

Essentially, he was a marketer but Lee Iacocca, the management guru, built a solid reputation in the automobile industry, long before Elon Musk rode to town with electric cars. Ford, Chrysler and General Motors, were Detroit’s Big three auto companies in the United States and he headed the first two. First, Iacocca was president of Ford Motors and the iconoclast, with unrivalled  gravitas, took the company to great  heights, from 1946 to ’78. Similarly, with sheer grit, marketing skills and ingenuity, he pulled Chrysler Motors from the brink of bankruptcy.

Indeed, his ingenuity spanned engineering and design but in marketing, he was a trailblazer as Iacocca pulled at all stops to push his company’s cars. In fact, he designed advertisement copies, shot commercials and appeared in both, with  sales pitch to boot. Marketing, according to him, is key to customers’ brand loyalty and to governments, it sells their   politics, policies and  philosophies to the people. However,  in both cases,  the Chief Executive Officer should be  the Marketer-in-Chief,  leading  from  the front.

Significantly, Senator Uba Sani, the Kaduna State Governor, seems to subscribe to this hands-on marketing credo to woo investors. Particularly, he has been darting within  and outside  the country, knocking on doors and selling Kaduna state to both local and foreign investors. The governor, as a  marketing strategy , has been flaunting  the  state’s comparative advantage, especially  its  young, vibrant and educated population, its  business-friendly environment,  as well as proximity to the Federal Capital Territory and being the gateway to the north. Indeed, this salesmanship has started bearing fruits in different sectors.

In August, Governor Uba Sani  clocked  a major milestone in the housing sector,  with the ground breaking of the Sanabil Project, initiated by the Qatar Charity, for the construction the Kaduna Economic City and the provision of Mass Housing. Indeed, the project is phenomenal, ambitious and the first of its kind in Nigeria and promises to redefine the country’s  estate   landscape. The governor, senior government officials and diplomats, including  construction stakeholders,   converged at Millennium City for the historic event on August 15.

In particular, the Economic City will provide world class infrastructure,  make Kaduna a reference point in modern and affordable accommodation, provide adequate security and conducive atmosphere for business activities. Likewise, clinics, shops and poultry farms, including farmlands for all year agriculture, will  be provided in the Economic City. Indeed, the city will facilitate international trade, by providing   a platform for traders-entrepreneurs  interface. In fact, the interaction ‘’will help harness product value chain opportunities and improve economic growth,’’ the governor had promised.

Interestingly,  housing is  not the only project on the Qatar Charity’s  checklist for Kaduna State. The poor, underserved and vulnerable children, the governor revealed, will benefit from scholarships and other empowerment programmes across the 23 local governments. In fact, sewing machines, welding machines and irrigation pumping machines, as well as salon kits, will be distributed to eligible beneficiaries. Likewise, boreholes will be drilled for deserving communities by the Qatar Charity.

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Similarly, on October 23, the Governor recorded a major feat  in the aviation sector, when   Air Peace commenced  flight to Kaduna. Earlier, Senator Uba Sani had met with aviation stakeholders, including the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, in his efforts to revive the  Kaduna International Airport.  Thereafter, he engaged with  Barrister Allen Onyeama,  Chairman of Air Peace,  on October 15 in  Abuja. In Kaduna, eight days later, the first flight touched down at the airport,  after a 19 month  hiatus.

Indeed, the Kaduna International Airport, in its heydays, was a major aviation hub as Air Peace, Aero Contractors and  Arik Air, including  Med-View and Azman, plied their trades at the air terminal. However, due to insecurity, most airlines gave it a wide berth but Azman still soldiered on.  Sadly, on March 26, 2022,  bandits had attacked the airport and  Azman took flight,   suspended  its services and left Kaduna in a huff. Largely, the airport had been dormant since then,  until Senator  Uba Sani  intervened last month.

Likewise, a Liquefied Natural Gas production and distribution company, the Greenville LNG, has sited a 24,000  tonnes capacity facility  at Kakau, a village in Chikun local government of Kaduna State. In fact, the Compressed Natural Gas, according to the Chairman, Mr Eddy Van Den Broeke, will reduce petroleum and diesel consumption  across the country,  provide  an economical and eco-friendly fuel alternative. Besides, it   will revive industries, boost micro, small and medium scale business. Similarly, it will engender  economic growth and create jobs, as well as address the state’s   needed  energy security. Indeed, the facility is the first of its kind in Nigeria and Kaduna State, owing to the governor’s drive, will   benefit from   the multi-billion dollar investment.

Last Thursday, Senator Uba Sani met with the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Salem Saeed Alshamsi and  His Excellency  made  some commitments. UAE, Al Shamsi promised, will facilitate multi million dollar  private investments  to Kaduna State, especially  in the Agriculture, Infrastructure, Transportation and Clean Energy sectors. Additionally,  the Emirati  Government will  support Kaduna State Government to  address  developmental challenges.

Clearly, all these investments and commitments, secured within five months, are the  result of  reaching out, meeting investors and development partners, outlining the vision and mission of the administration,  as well as giving  assurances of an investment  safe  haven. Surely, this  outdoor marketing  and the initial breaking of the ice, amidst  security concerns, are best handled by the person on whose table the buck finally stops. That’s the Iaccoca principle—the lightning rod of Senator Uba Sani’s development agenda in Kaduna State.

*Musa writes from Kaduna

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