The Kano State governorship candidate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Muhammad Sadiq Wali, yesterday said if elected, his priority would be to revitalise the economy of the state.
In a chat with reporters in Kano, Wali said his administration will use the Public Private Partnership (PPP) policy to boost the economy of Kano State and restore its glory as the commercial nerve centre of the North.
Wali was Commissioner for Water Resources for two-and-a-half years under the Abdullahi Umar Ganduje administration before he resigned his position to run for the 2023 governorship race.
“Our team is prepared to build the economy. We believe in Public Private Partnership. Kano is private sector-driven. Most of our Kano citizens are very industrious and all they need is support from the government. So, we need to encourage them.
“My administration will make Kano to become economically independent, and my administration will have the mandate to encourage and promote small-scale business men and local/indigenous industrialists.
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“This was how countries such as China developed their economy. We will come up with policies that promote local industries, we will discourage those policies that close down our local industries,” he said.
The Kano PDP flagbearer also promised that if elected, his administration will encourage “direct foreign investment” for the betterment of the state’s economy.
He said he would use his enormous experiences in the private sector to, not only provide quality leadership for the people of Kano State, but also to grow the economy through reformed Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) system.
“Any government that has the development of the state at heart prioritises infrastructural development in areas where commercial and business activities boom, to make way for economic growth and increase the drive for revenue generation.
“Infrastructural facilities such as roads continue to dilapidate because of the increasing population in urban areas. We need to expand and build infrastructural facilities in local areas where you have competitive opportunities.”
The PDP governorship candidate assured that his administration will guarantee rural urbanisation to decongest increasing population in the city and to ensure even development by building infrastructure and industries in local areas where raw materials and human resources are readily available.
He also said part of his team’s agenda is to include Social Service Reforms (SSR), pointing out that it is about re-orientation. It is about re-focusing the mindset of the people.
“We are coming into government for implementation, sustainability and wealth creation,” he said.
Wali also stressed the need to carry out reforms in the state education system.