Katsina Establishes Cotton, Medical Zones To Grow Economy.
Two new special economic zones have been established by the Katsina state in efforts to improve the investment climate and deepen the economy of the state.
Katsina is among the top producers of cotton in Nigeria, ranking behind Zamfara state that is the top in the region known for the production of cotton in Nigeria.
As of 2005, Zamfara accounts for 114.4 1000 metric tons representing 24.85 per cent of Nigeria’s production of cotton.
Katsina trails Zamfara, and together with Borno, Kano, and Bauchi account for 89.83 percent of total Nigeria’s total production of cotton estimated at 460.3 1000 metric tons in 2005.
When the Katsina cotton park is eventually created, the state will likely become the hub for cotton production in the region and also support the efforts of the federal government at recreating the textile and garment sector of the economy which is in a comatose.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has led the federal government intervention to see to the revival of the comatose textile sector and has consequently placed garment and textile importation on the list of import prohibition list.
Already, the state government has earmarked 250 hectares of land for the park while the medical tourism park is allocated 300 hectares of land.
The Cotton Industrial Park to be sited in Funtau will help in accelerating business activities and bring about competitiveness, and the Medical Tourism Park to be sited in the state capital, about 15 kilometres away from the Airport would invariably reduce the huge capital flight and losses through medical tourism
Managing Director of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Adesoji Adesugba commenting on the development said the Cotton and Medical Tourism Parks in Katsina State will improve the investment climate of the state.
Adesugba speaking at a meeting between the NEPZA team and members of the state’s Working Group for the establishment of the two Special Economic Zones said when fully operational, the two zones will change both the infrastructure and investment landscape of the state.
“Our strategic plan is to have the medical parks spread around the six geo-political zones. We are happy with the Katsina state level of commitment towards these projects so far”, he said.
The NEPZA Boss consequently sought the immediate issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy to speed up the projects to speed up mobilisation to the site especially the Funtua Cotton park which workable timeline has been set out.
“We solicit the Governor’s goodwill and office to facilitate the issuance of the relevant title documents in favour of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) as it is a major requirement by law in the declaration of an area as a Special Economic Zone by the President’’.
Adesugba assured the state government of the readiness of NEPZA to partner on the project to fast-track the state’s industrialization efforts.
“Let me reaffirm here that the greatest gift President Muhammadu Buhari has given to the nation is his unflinching commitment to using the Free Trade Zone concept to fast track the industrialization of the country. We are indeed grateful to the president for his foresight.
The free zone scheme is a global economic concept that supports speedy infrastructure development, generate both foreign and Local Direct Investments, creates jobs for our teeming youth population as well as stimulate local production for export in a well-defined ecosystem free from the usual business encumbrances.
Gov. Aminu Masari, while receiving the resolutions from members of the working group led by both the NEPZA boss and the state’s Deputy Governor, Mannir Yakubu, explained that the state government was committed to ensuring the success of the projects, adding that the two special economic zones were capable of re-ordering the state’s development configuration for the better.
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