The Katsina State Government has entered into a bond to establish an 800-hectare industrial park otherwise called Green Economic Zone.
The park is along the Jibia Road, Katsina State.
Already, the state government has consolidated the agreement with a solar farm and construction companies to create enabling infrastructure and environment that will attract more investors to the state.
During the signing ceremony held at the Katsina Investment Promotion Agency, the Director-General of the agency, Ibrahim Jikamshi, explained that the aim was also to market and promote the zone to attract investors of three different calibres.
He said the 2023 and 2nd subnational Ease of Doing Business ranking report recently released by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council has ranked Katsina number five (5).
He said: ”The state is now ahead of Lagos, Ogun, and 30 others including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja’.
”In the 2021 ranking, Katsina State was number 9 despite the challenge of insecurity facing the state since it went digital.”
The Country Representative/Facilitator representing Afri-Nigeria Limited, PTM Power Limited, and Asbat Construction Limited, Mr. Tope Banjoko, said the agreement will soon be implemented.
He said the housing complex will be designed to have amenities including a police post, 20-bedroom hotel, small clinic, school, playing area, fuel station, and electric charging point.
He said: “And regarding the solar farm, we are looking at building an expandable 100 megawatts.
“The focus of Afri-Nig Limited is to participate in the renewable energy space of Nigeria and the rest of Africa. We will start with Nigeria now to be able to participate in the African free trade because it’s a free zone”
“We also want to set up a training school to bridge the existing huge gap to meet up with international standards.
“The long-term idea is to make Katsina State the hub for renewable energy in the North because 30 per cent of the government expenditure is on renewable energy and the intensity of sunshine is more in the North than that of the South with the difference of four to five hours and cost of batteries coming down.
“So, it’s appropriate and right thinking that emphasis should be made to locate such infrastructure in the North, especially in Katsina State Green Economic Zone.”