January 16, (THEWILL) – Kaduna State was created in 1967 with Kaduna as the capital and major city. It used to be called the North-Central State. It is located in north-western Nigeria and bordered by Zamfara, Katsina and Kano States to the north; Bauchi and Plateau State to the east; Nasawara State to the south and Niger to the west. Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, also borders Kaduna to the south-west. Its major river is the Kaduna River which is a tributary of the Niger River. It flows roughly east to west through the centre of the state.
Kaduna is a trade centre and a major transportation hub as the gateway to northern Nigeria, with its rail and a wide network of roads. The state’s natural vegetation consists largely of savanna woodlands. It produces cotton and peanuts (groundnuts) for export. Other cash crops include shea nuts, ginger and peppers. Vegetables are grown in the riverine floodplains; brown sugar is processed locally from sugarcane; onions and soybeans are produced in abundance.
Tobacco used to be a major cash crop around Zaria (where cigarettes are made), and sorghum is utilised by a brewery in Kaduna town. Sorghum and millet are staple foods. Cattle, chickens, guinea fowl and sheep are raised; hides and skins are tanned for export.
The people also engage in traditional crafts, especially cotton weaving and dyeing (with locally grown indigo), leather processing, raffia weaving, and pottery designing (notably among the Gbari), which also retain considerable economic importance.
The state is popular for hosting the highest population of military and paramilitary institutions, including the Prisons Training School, Nigeria School of Artillery in Kachia, Nigerian Navy School of Armament in Kachia, Nigerian Army School of Military Police, Nigerian Military Training School in Basawa, Zaria, the popular Nigerian Military School, Zaria, Air Force Institute of Technology, the prestigious Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji and the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) are all located in Kaduna.
The state is also home to the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology in Palladan, Zaria.
Being a major route to the North, Kaduna is included in the planned Lagos–Kano Standard Gauge Railway, which has been completed between the national capital of Abuja and Kaduna. Trains for Abuja depart from the Rigasa Railway Station. At Kaduna, a branch rail line connects the Lagos-Nguru Railway to the Port-Harcourt-Kaduna (the state capital) route.
Zaria is the commercial nerve centre of the state, which served as a major collecting point for cotton, tobacco, groundnuts, shea nuts, and hides and skins processed locally and sent by rail to Lagos for export.
Some educational centres in Kaduna State include the Ahmadu Bello University, with its associated Institutes of Education, Economic and Social Studies, Administration and Health, the Institute for Agricultural Research and Special Services and the Leather Research Institute of Nigeria. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Training Centre and a branch of the Katsina College of Arts, Science, and Technology are also located in Zaria.
Tourist Sites
Matsirga Water Fall, Kajuru Castle, Gen. Hassan Usman Katsina House, Kaduna Museum, the Lugard Foot Bridge, Kamuku National Park, Emit of Zazzau Palace, the Nok Village, Trappco Ranch and Resort, St. Bartholomew’s Church, Bishop’s House (for Northern Nigeria Diocese).
Solid Minerals
Cassiterite, Nickel, Lithium, Molybdenum, Tantalite are found in the state.
Agriculture, Rural and Industrial Development
To ensure food security and youth empowerment, the state government has created a scheme for the training of 5,000 youths annually for five years on agricultural projects. The agricultural programme is designed for youths in the age bracket of 18 to 35, who will be equipped with starter packs at the end of the training programme.
The Kaduna State Government has embarked on aggressive urban renewal project to attract investors, improve the state’s competitiveness, support economic dynamism and promote the well-being of the people. Governor Nasir el-Rufai said the renewal project will begin from Kaduna the state capital and extend to two other main cities, Kafanchan and Zaria.
FACT-FILE:
LGA: 23
Land Area: 17,781q mi.
Registered businesses: 1,826
Public primary schools: 4,350 circa
Public secondary schools: @ 2009
University (6): Federal – 1, military – 2, state – 1, private-2
Polytechnic (3): Federal 1, military -1, state – 1
College of Education (3): Federal – 1, state – 2
College of Agriculture (5): Federal – 3, state – 2
Nursing School/Health and Science (9): Federal -3, state – 6
Technical School (4): Federal -1, state – 3
Institute of Petroleum Resources: Fed – 1.
Research Institute: Federal – 1
Total Revenue: N113.89bn @ 2020
Total Tax: N27.65bn
Total IGR: N50.76bn @ 2020 (44.57% of total revenue)
FAAC: N63.12bn @ 2020 (55.43% of total revenue)
Domestic Debt: N68.75bn @ 2020
External Debt: $551.94m @ 2020
Unemployment rate: 12.4% @ 2020
Inland Dry Port: 1
Airport: 1
Kaduna State Unveils KADA Hive Innovation, Technology Hub
The Kaduna State-sponsored KADA Hive Innovation and Technology hub in partnership with the Bank of Industry (BoI) was commissioned in August 2021. The Hub, according to the state government, is an initiative that helps to expand the access of young people in Kaduna State to the acquisition of ICT skills. The government said the project also seeks to increase technology and innovation adoption by businesses in the State.
“The success of this project, the Deputy Governor said, clearly demonstrates the endless potentials of partnerships in turning innovative ideas into concrete realities,” said Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, deputy governor of Kaduna State
She said that as a government that believes in partnerships and collaborations, Malam Nasir el-Rufai-led administration will continue to work with its partners in the private and public sectors in birthing innovative ideas that create opportunities for the people.
Dr. Balarabe said the Technology Incubation and Innovation Centre was one of the six funded by the Bank of Industry in the country. It is designed to provide workspace, dedicated power supply, internet connectivity and office facilities for individuals and groups in the technology and innovation business.
Experts and stakeholders believe that this will increase productivity and enable individuals and businesses without office buildings and facilities to pursue their dreams and create products and services. Additionally, KADA Hive Hub will improve Kaduna State’s Technology and Innovation ecosystem as it seeks to build the skills sets of those involved in technology businesses in Kaduna state.
TechNews quotes Kaduna state government as saying it is desirous of creating a favourable business clime that would enable the birth and growth of businesses across the broad spectrum of the economy. Along with other initiatives of KDSG, KADA Hive will serve as an enabler in making ICT entrepreneurs in the state to tap into the huge potentials of the global digital economy.
“As we pursue the vision of making Kaduna a destination of choice for private businesses, we are investing significantly to build the productive capacities of our youths, especially in ICT.
“Through the support of World Bank and Rockefeller Foundation, we successfully conducted the Click on Kaduna program; a Digital Jobs Africa Initiative to train youths in Kaduna on how to use digital technologies to drive innovation, obtain digital skills and acquire jobs. This program is very much in line with the State’s vision to develop its digital economy and reduce youth”.
She further said “It is heart-warming to see that this program launched in July 2018 has trained these 360 young men and women in programming and technology, graphic design, digital marketing, and digital entrepreneurship over the last 6 months. This is in addition to the over 900 citizens that were trained in the first phase of the programme.
“Some have gained internship opportunities through placement in tech companies, some have even gone on to gain formal employment in tech hubs and Start-ups within the State. We believe that investing on the youths is the surest path to create a safer and more prosperous future which is driven by technology and innovation.
“As managing partners, we thank you for deploying resources to promote innovation and technology in Kaduna state and the nation at large.
“As we have continued to stress, the vision is to make Kaduna State a leading ICT hub in Nigeria. To this end we have committed to the establishment of various ICT Hubs and technology villages across the State for the purposes of improving the capacities of our people and enhancing their responsiveness to the growing and more dynamic digital age.”
She also commended the Bank of Industry (BoI), Roundstone and Vatebra for partnering with Kaduna State government to deliver the hub in Kaduna.
“We are delighted that KADA Hive has been set up to contribute to this by providing the necessary skills and knowledge to put Kaduna State on the radar of emerging digital economies.”
Challenging factors: Insecurity, high population of uneducated, unkempt youth and teenagers, multiple taxes, excesses of government and military officials, religious dichotomy and upheaval.
*** BY SAM DIALA & OLAYEMI SHABA
About the Author
Sam Diala is a Bloomberg Certified Financial Journalist with over a decade of experience in reporting Business and Economy. He is Business Editor at THEWILL Newspaper, and believes that work, not wishes, creates wealth.
