Economy

The history of the state of Kaduna dates back to 1912, when the capital city of Kaduna was founded by British colonial ruler Lord Frederick Lugard on the largely uninhabited plains of Zaria. The city and state are named after the river Kaduna, one of the two major tributaries of the Niger River that feeds into the plains. The river’s name itself most likely derives from the...

The manufacturing industry, which was an important component of Kaduna’s economy in the 1970s, has seen a steady decline in the decades since. The local authorities have been keen to kick-start light manufacturing, particularly in the agro-allied industries, and expand activity in the solid minerals sector, which are expected to become a key driver of growth. However, industry...

Kaduna is actively seeking to attract investors to the agriculture sector, promoting a number of opportunities. The Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency (KAPIDA) has identified about 2.5m ha of uncultivated land with abundant water resources to support commercial farming, livestock and fishery businesses, and welcomes investors to take advantage of the state’s potential. Indeed...

Nigeria is home to Africa’s largest economy and population, and is an engine for growth in the continent. While the government is largely reliant on oil and gas revenue, the economy itself is more diversified. Indeed, the non-oil sector accounted for 90.8% of real GDP in the first quarter of 2021. Services were the largest contributor to...

The Covid-19 pandemic and the corresponding drop in global oil prices caused both a recession and lower inbound investment in the early months of the health crisis in Nigeria. However, GDP and investment figures improved as the economy reopened. Foreign investors shied away from many emerging markets in the early months of 2020 as the pandemic...