Reviving Kano industries key to fixing North, says Obi

Detailed summary

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, says reviving Kano’s moribund industries is critical to fixing Northern Nigeria’s eco Read More:…

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has said reviving Kano’s moribund industries is critical to addressing Northern Nigeria’s economic challenges, describing the state as one of the country’s most important commercial centres.

Obi made the remarks on Saturday in Kano while speaking at the fifth convocation ceremony of Skyline University Nigeria, where he lamented the decline of the state’s manufacturing sector and called for urgent efforts to restore its industrial capacity.

He said Kano had historically played a major role in Nigeria’s commerce, business and manufacturing, but regretted that many factories that once drove its industrial growth were no longer operational.

“As I was coming to Kano this morning, I met several people, and I told them that Kano is one of the most important commercial centres in Nigeria.

“This city represents the country’s strength in commerce, business and manufacturing. Kano was once a major industrial hub, with several factories operating here. Today, many of those factories are no longer functioning. We need to bring them back, revive manufacturing and create employment opportunities for our people,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor said restoring the factories and strengthening manufacturing would create jobs, reduce poverty and improve the economy.

He cited Vietnam as an example of a country that had made significant progress through manufacturing, noting that Nigeria needed to strengthen its productive capacity rather than depend heavily on the export of raw materials.

“Countries such as Vietnam have made significant progress through manufacturing, earning substantially more from manufactured goods than Nigeria does,” Obi said.

He also highlighted the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises, urging the government to create an enabling environment for businesses to grow, expand and employ more people.

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