The Kaduna State Government says it will need up to $65.5 billion dollars to address the state’s infrastructure challenges over the next 30 years.

Governor Nasir El-Rufa’i stated this on Wednesday at the unveiling of the infrastructure master plan, 2018-2050, during the 3rd edition of the state investment forum in Kaduna.

He stressed that the long term infrastructure master plan summarised the infrastructure target of the state aimed at providing job opportunities and making lives better for the people.

“The breakdown of the future infrastructural developments between now to 2050, include, the transportation sector which would require N8 trillion while N5.1 billion would be required annually in the education sector to build about 9,006 schools including tertiary institutions.

“Other sectors include, the health system which would require N158 billion, while N100 billion yearly is targeted for the water sector; agriculture would require N53 billion, and 5,000 housing units would be developed annually all within the time frame of 2018-2050,’’ the governor said.

According to him, the administration had attracted investments into the state in the last two years, with 79 percent coming from outside the country.

“Due to the low percentage of domestic investment, we have decided to focus more on domestic investment, we need to attract businesses in Kaduna by providing skilled workforce,’’ he said.

According to the governor, “to encourage domestic investment in the state, government’s first priority is to build human capital by engaging in different activities where the young people are willing to be employed in businesses.’’

Mr. El-Rufa’i said that the government expects that some of the investments would bear fNigerian newsruits before the next edition of the summit.

He listed the investments to include Vilisco Textile Park, Arfa Dairy Farms and Ranches, Kaduna Automobile village, Green Economic Zone, Solar Power Project, Dangote-PAN Assembly Plant and others.

The governor later inaugurated the Springfield Mahindra tractor assembly plant in the state during which he assured prospective investors of his administration’s support in realising their investment target.

According to him, the state is being positioned to be an investors destination by providing an enabling environment.

He said that the tractor that would be assembled in the plant would not only empower farmers in the state but enable the state boost its food production.

“With this Kaduna state will be able to produce a lot of food. These tractors will go a long way in ensuring that we have more mechanised farming,’’ the governor said.

Mr. El-rufai said there were not more than 30,000 tractors in the whole of the country,

“What this plant will be producing will be more than 10 per cent of what is already in the country which means in a few years we will be able to double the figure,” he said

Earlier in his address, Tarun Das, Managing Director Springfield Mahindra tractor Assembly plant, said the plant was expected to produce 3000 tractors per annum

According to Mr. Das, 20 million U.S. Dollars had been invested in the project which would create 200 jobs when fully operational within the next two to three months.

Meanwhile, Gov. El-Rufai also performed groundbreaking ceremony of the construction of the Kaduna Hilton Hotel.

He said the hotel when completed would have 200 luxury rooms, conference rooms and be located along Muhammadu Buhari Way, Kaduna.

http://www.1960ng.com/2018/04/05/kaduna-needs-65-5-bn-to-provide-infrastructure-gov-el-rufai/

Visit www.1960ng.com for more post