September 27, 2009 is the
D-day. The Kano State most popular and people oriented
governor, Malam (Dr) Ibrahim Shekarau will be playing
host to all countries of the world to celebrate this
year's World Tourism Day in Kano sub-Sahara part of
Africa. In addition to the fact that Kano is one of
the rich states of Nigeria with tourism potential to
show to the world, the charismatic and purposeful
leadership style of the people's governor is also an
added advantage that must have attracted the choice of
Kano to host this year's World Tourism Day in Kano.
Tourism, as we know, is an essential aspect of human
development that is strategic to any country of the
world. It is the encyclopedia of some countries'
source of foreign earnings and thus, it attracts
special place in the hearts of many nation. With this
significant role tourism plays in the advancement of
any country, Kano in particular and Nigeria in general
should feel honoured by the choice to host this
celebration in the most populous African nation.
Since Malam (Dr) Ibrahim Shekarau came to power
through popular vote in 2003 and subsequently in 2007,
his government has consistently ensured that Kano as
centre of commerce does not lose its business
potentials. This he was able to achieve through his
Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Co-operatives and
Tourism in improving the standard and quality of
commercial and tourism activities in the state. As a
result of this, employment opportunity has also been
created for the restive youths who are now engaged in
various artisan works.
For the visitors that are visiting the state for the
first time and even those who have been to Kano
before, they sure noticed some level of remarkable
changes in terms of structural and human developments,
which have also been made possible with the active
foresight and hard work of the people's governor to
ensure that democracy dividend expected of a
purposeful and humble leader is entrenched, at least,
for the past six years when the present Shekarau led
administration holds sway in the state.
Kano is one of the thirty six (36) states of Nigeria,
with an estimated population of 10,000,000 people who
are predominantly Hausa and Fulani speaking people.
There are however other tribes like Yoruba, Ibo,
Kanuri, Nupe, Ebira, Igala, Tsekiri, Ijaw, Tiv, Idoma,
etc that cohabitate the state. There are also
foreigners from neighboring African nations like Niger
Republic, Ghana and Cameroon, a sizeable number of
Sudanese, Lebanese, Indians and Turkish people. Kano
comprises forty-four (44) local government areas of
the state administered by Chairmen. The peaceful
nature of the state for the past six years of the
present government accounts for the rapid population
growth and influx of Nigerians to this centre of
commerce.
The area known as Kano state was created in July 1967
out of the defunct Northern region. The area had and
still has a location advantage as the centre of
commerce and terminus of trade with some African
regions especially Africa as well as the Arab world.
Despite changes in the administrative structure and
size of the Kano State due to the creation of Jigawa
State out of it in 1991, the importance of Kano as
commercial center has not been eroded. There is still
a concentration of middle men and agents in the famous
Kurmi, Kwari and Muhammed Abubakar Rimi (Sabongari)
markets who distribute finished goods manufactured in
different parts of Nigeria and the rest of the world.
Apart from its striving commerce, Kano economy consist
of a booming agricultural sector established since the
groundnut Pyramids or the colonial era. The teeming
population of Kano drives the economy as it provides
readily available cheap labor and a ready market for
most of the produced goods.
Kano State is endowed with a land area of 20,760
square kilometers. The state lies in the tropical wet
–and- dry climatic zone. The average annual rainfall
is about 1000mm in the southern part of the state,
800mm around metropolitan Kano and about 600mm in the
north-east. The rainy season usually covers the months
of April and October. This is followed by harmattan
which usually begins in November and ends in March.
The State is also endowed with rivers and many dams
which make irrigation farming possible. The rivers
include Thomas, Gari, Watari and Challawa rivers. The
dams include Tiga, Kafin chiri, Bagauda, Dambata and
Bagerai dams. There are also three dams located along
Kano-Gwarzo Road.
The Falgore game reserve measuring about 32 kilometers
along the Kano - Jos Road is the largest forest in the
state. It serves as game reserve and tourists centre.
Small grazing reserves like the Badume Grazing
reserves along Kano Katsina road are also in
existence. Kano state is endowed with a number of
mineral resources; these include Kashin, alluvial tin,
Mica, Columbines, Copper, clay and gold. Others are
Silica Sand, quartzite, granite, lead, limestone,
iron-ore and hyalite. These natural endowments
accounts for the varied economic activities that are
carried out in Kano state.
In terms of education Kano state has thousands of
primary Schools, hundreds of Post primary schools and
four technical colleges. There are five state-owned
tertiary institutions and a Federal University. There
are also over 500 private schools which supplement the
effort of government in educating, and empowering the
populace. In the health sector, the state has
established many general hospitals, several
comprehensive health centers, hundreds of
dispensaries, leprosarium clinics and four dental
centers all in addition to many private hospitals and
clinics. These facilities ensure a high skill
man-power for the state economic activities.
Kano state is endowed with wealthy businessmen and
women with enough of this capital, capable of caring
sole proprietorship, partnership and joint stock
businesses. Most of the banks in Nigeria have branches
in Kano and this enhances the availability of credit
facilities to businesses in the state. Entrepreneur
ability is very high among the people of Kano; they
could be rated as second to the Igbo people of eastern
Nigeria. But it must be stated here that the average
Kano entrepreneur is risk averse, hence will go for
activities with shorter gestation period like
commercial activities.
Kano state is blessed with a network of roads,
telephone facilities. Pipe bore water and electricity
which all contribute to the development of its
economy. There is also an international airport and
an export processing zone (EPZ) established by the
federal government. Given its rich endowments, various
and multi-facet economy activities are being
undertaken in Kano state. These activities are in form
of agriculture, commerce, manufacturing, mining,
banking and insurance as well as tourism and
recreation.
Agriculture is the largest sector in Kano state in
term of provision of employment and income to its
populace. Over 70% of the working populations are
directly or indirectly engaged in agricultural
activities which include clearing of Lands, Wet season
farming, irrigation Farming, storage and distribution
of farm produce and annual husbandry. The state has
the following as the main crops being produced:
groundnut, Guinea corn, Maze, Sugarcane, Gum Arabic,
Rice, honey, ginger, pepper, coloring leaves,
sugarcane herbs and different kinds of vegetables.
The Livestock comprise Cattle, Sheep, Goats, and
Donkeys Camels and Horses are reared in the state.
About 90% of the Land in Kano state is arable. There
are very few areas covered with rocks, thick forests
or water that cannot be used for faming.
Kano state has the largest irrigation projects in
Nigeria. The irrigation infrastructure includes the
Kano River irrigation project phase one with areas of
22,000 hectares; Water River irrigation project;
Gwarzo Road Dams project; Kafi chiri Dam irrigation
project; Thomas River project and Gari River
irrigation project. The rich potentials for the
agricultural scenario in Kano state (arable and
grazing Land) supports agricultural activities of
subsistence and commercial magnitudes. The
agricultural products of the state support the food
needs of the state, acts as a source of raw material
for the industrial sector, fully complemented by large
scale importation to supplement the food need and
industrial uses. It should be mentioned here that not
all the agricultural products are consumed within the
state, as some are exported to foreign countries and
other parts of the country. Predominant among these
are livestock, species and vegetables. The
agricultural activities in the state, flourish more in
the southern part of the state, which is wetter and
has an average rain fall 1000mm supported by other
favorable climatic elements, than in the northern part
of the state which has an erratic rainfall and high
temperature due to metropolitan and industrial
activities. The intensity of agricultural activities
in the state has led to the development of specialized
market within the Kano metropolis for agricultural
products.
Commerce is the second largest sector of the Kano
economy. The state has for long been rated the second
to Lagos state in terms of commercial activities. This
state has witnessed tremendous growth in large, medium
and small scale commercial outfits since the present
ANPP led administration under the able and dedicated
leadership of Governor Ibrahim Shekarau came on board.
The commercial activities includes the sale and
distribution of imported and locally made goods such
as textiles, cosmetics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals,
spare parts, vehicles, buildings materials and
electronics. There are many outlets by which
commercial activities take place. These include the
Muhammed Abubakar Rimi and Kurmi markets, specialized
markets in Kano metropolis, rural markets, community
base markets in the metropolis and corner shops and
supermarkets. The Muhammed Abubakar Rimi market,
popularly known as Sabongari market, is the largest
market in the state. It is meant for the selling of
general provisions, confectionary, textiles,
electronics, and vegetables, stationary and general
foodstuff. The market is under the supervision of
Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Co-operative and
Tourism.
The Kurmi market is an ancient market, where locally
made goods and ancient technology becomes dominant.
The market is located in the old city and it is a
centre of tourist attraction. Honey, butter, leather
work, embroidery and other locally crafted materials
are also sold in the market. The specialized markets
in Kano metropolis include the Yan lemo market, which
is located at Mai kalwa along Zaria Road; it is a
place for the whole sale of banana, Orange, Mango and
water lemon. Commodities are brought to the market for
sale from other states in Nigeria. We also have Yan -
Kaba Market: This is located at Yan - kaba quarters
along Hadeja road. The market is a centre for the sale
and distribution of tomatoes, pepper, Onions, Carrots
and other vegetables. Potatoes are one of the main
commodities in the market.
The Kofar Ruwa Market is a market for building
materials and spare parts for vehicles. It is located
close to the Kano international airport and is
dominated by the Igbos while Dawanau Market is a
market for grains, Yams and other foodstuff located
along Katsina Road. There are two markets at 'Yan
katako markets located at Naibawa along Zaria road and
Bachirawa along Kastina road specially meant for the
sale of different varieties of wood for making
furniture and other wood works. The Kofar Wambai
market specializes in second hand textile materials,
plastics, clocks, calculators and wrist watches. There
are however some other products but not in great
qualities. The Kwari market is a market for locally
made and imported textile materials. It is located
close to Ibrahim Taiwo road and is dominated by the
Hausa and Arabs. The Rimi market is a market for
foodstuffs sold in small quantities (retail trade). It
is also a place for the sale of Kitchen utensils and
dishes. The Kwanar Dawaki market is as an
international market for cattle, sheep, camels, Goats
and other livestock. The Mariri markets are of two
types. One is for Kola nuts, while the other is for
Firewood.
The Rural markets in Kano state also make a great
contribution to the economy of the state. In fact,
they are sources of income and employment to many
rural dwellers. These markets are opened on
specialized days. Fridays are mostly common market
days. For instance, the markets in Kura, Rano, Bichi
and Wudil towns operate on Fridays. Sundays are market
day for Dambatta and Kachako markets, while Badume
market operates twice in a week; Sundays and
Wednesdays. The Gezawa and Tudunwadan Dankadai markets
operate on alternate days. Rahama and Darki markets
operate on Saturdays and Thursdays respectively. The
community Based markets in Kano metropolis provide
convenience for people residing in particular
communities or hamlets when making small shopping. The
Sharada, Sheka and Adakawa markets are example of
these markets.
Corner shops and Super markets are also important
outlets for commercial activities in Kano state. They
provide employment and income to many people. There
are many of these shops along major roads in the state
(e.g. Zoo Road, Court Road, Gyadi-Gyadi, Mandawari
Sabon titi Road). Supermarkets owned by Nigerian
citizens have now replaced those established by the
multinational firms, the former include Zango stores,
Sahad stores, and Sheshe. Street hawking and petty
trading are very prominent in Kano state. There are
many people who earn a living through these
businesses.
The industrial sector of an economy is usually the
barometer used for measuring the extent of the
country’s economic progress in terms of growth and
development. In Nigeria, industrialization has been
retarded by various factors eminent in the various
political regimes that have governed Nigeria. In
respective of this, Kano state has for long been known
for its industrial activities and is still been rated
as the second leading industrial centre in Nigeria
after Lagos. Though, the state has witnessed a massive
decline in its industries, and industrial activities,
in line with the national trend, the state can still
boast of over 350 large and medium industries.
Industrialization which connotes manufacturing is
engage in various transformation activities such as:
Food processing, Biscuits, Sweet and Confectionaries,
Cement, Blocks, and Tiles Manufacturing, Metal, Wood,
Aluminum product manufacturing, Plastics and Allied
products manufacturing, Soap, Perfume and Cosmetics
manufacturing, Bicycle manufacturing and Assembly,
Soft drinks manufacture, Paper mills, Books and
Stationary, Tanneries and Leather works, Textile and
Apparel industries, Agricultural and Agro allied
manufacture as well as Chemical and Pharmaceuticals.
With the recognition of industrialization as an
important strategy for economic growth, various
incentives were offered by the Federal Government to
industrialists. In this light, the government
established Export Promotion Zones (EPZ) and
Industrial Estates. The existence of Sharada
Industrial Estate, Challawa Industrial Estate and
Bompia Industrial Estate just to mention but few, are
evidence of this fact. In addition to these
incentives, the Kano state government offered a wide
range of incentives to prospective industrial
investors in the state. The Kano state government
encourages establishment of industries with bias for
utilization of the state blessed agricultural
products, for import substitution, increase export,
labour intensive and other local raw materials.
We thank God that with the coming of Malam (Dr)
Ibrahim Shekarau as the governor of Kano State in 2003
and till date, his government has been able to solve
some of these problems especially in aspect of road
rehabilitation, the ongoing construction of the KANAWA
market that will be more than the World Trade Centre (WTC),
the maintenance of peaceful coexistence among the
people of the state, enhancement of Corporate Social
Responsibility, improvement of business potentials and
the pursuit of the Independent Power Plant project and
some other infrastructural facilities.
Minerals
have played a major role in human development from the
pre-historic era. Man has explored the abundant
mineral resource in the world to achieve most of this
technological advancement in every sector. Kano state
is blessed with metallic, non metallic minerals and
gemstone in commercial quantities. It has mineral
resources such as tin, kaolin, silicate, feldspar and
quartzite, clay mica, columbite, copper, iron ore,
diamond, Limestone and sapphire. Yet, mining
activities are almost non – existent in the state. The
over reliance on petroleum by the federal government,
which owns all mineral resources in Nigeria retards
mining activities.
The rate of banks and insurance company in the smooth
functioning of economic activities of a particular
area cannot be disputed. These two economic industries
act as the grease that oil the wheels of economic
activities. As the leading commercial centre in the
north, Kano state has a number of banks and other
financial institutions which provide capital and
diverse services for business men and general public.
Kano State has a number of tourist attraction and
recreational center, which attracts Nigerians and
foreigners and serve as a means of earning revenue.
The centers include Audu Bako Zoological garden,
Falgore game reserve, Gidan makama museum, Kurmi
market, the Emir’s palace and its festivities, the
city walls and gates, Kofar mata dyeing pits, Dala
hill, Tiga Dam and Bagauda lake hotels and resorts,
Kusalla dam and fishing centre. Kano state has an
international airport and many decent hotel which
support or form part of the tourist and recreation
centres of the Kano Economy. The prominent hotels that
support these tourists’ activities include Prince
hotel, Tahir Guest Palace, Ni’ima Guest Palace, Royal
Tropicana hotel, Central hotel and Daula hotel. There
are a myriad of other services which support the
economy by providing income and employment
opportunities to many people living in Kano state. We
have the Kano State Tourism Board established by an
edict in 1994. It has six departments namely: External
Services Department, Administration and General
Services Department, Hospitality, Travel Trade
Department, Marketing and Promotion Department, Legal
Services Department, Planning and Consultancy.
Health services are provided by public and private
hospitals and clinics. Educational services are also
provided by public and private schools in the state.
Consultancy services in the field of engineering,
medicine, management, information and education are
being provided by a number of firms. There are modern
and traditional estate values and agents who provide
services to people wishing to rent or buy houses and
lands in the state. There are thousands of motor
vehicles, motorcycle and bicycle mechanics whose
services are very essential to the progress of Kano
state. In the traditional sub – sector of the services
of the Kano economy, there are many services from
which many people earn their means of livelihood, this
include barbing, traditional medical practice, and
occultism. Women in their matrimonial homes and in
governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
also render many services which help the economy of
Kano state. The services provided by women in their
matrimonial homes to their families and neighbours,
though very difficult to be measure monetary terms,
are very much appreciated and valued in the Islamic
socio – economic system cherished by almost 99% of the
citizens of the Kano state.
As Governor Shekarau hosts the world for the World
Tourism Day in Kano, it is hoped that the august
visitors would appreciate and avail themselves with
the rich social economic and cultural growth of Kano
so that they will leave the state to come back for
investment. I humbly wish them happy and enjoyable
stay in Kano
Saka Raji Audu contributes from Kano and he can be
reached on his email: sakaraj@yahoo.com
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