To what extent has the facilitation of business procedures in Kaduna State translated into inward investment?

On the occasion of the release of The Report: Kaduna 2020 and the launch of the digital KADINVEST 5.0 Summit, Oxford Business Group’s Regional Editor for Africa, Souhir Mzali, speaks with Governor of Kaduna State in Nigeria, Nasir El-Rufai, to discuss Kaduna’s priority investments and future opportunities for economic growth in the state.

Over the past five years, Kaduna has made important strides in improving the ease of doing business, making it a top performer in Nigeria in many categories of the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business metrics. As a result, the state has attracted key investments in recent years, including major agro-industrial, automotive manufacturing and mining projects, as well as infrastructure upgrades.

Governor El-Rufai also discussed the progress achieved in Kaduna's internally generated revenue, going from N13bn in 2015 to N44bn in 2019, with the state on track to achieve N50bn even as Covid-19 slows down business activity across the country. The targets were mainly reached by streamlining the tax collection process and making it more business-friendly, efficient and transparent without having to raise taxes.

Kaduna State is also in the process of carrying out an infrastructure master plan, which involves the upgrading of both physical and social infrastructure. Thanks to upgrades in roads, housing, transportation, energy systems, green spaces and recreational centres, the state aims to create jobs, improve the welfare of its citizens and bring down the cost of doing business.