EU donates €512m for electricity, others in Nigeria

IN its renewed commitment to Nigeria’s development the European Union (EU), has earmarked the sum of €512m to improve the provision of electricity, healthcare delivery system, promotion and protection of the rule of law, governance and democracy.

This was disclosed by Mr. Juan Casla, EU’s Head of Section on Economic Governance and Trade Cooperation, of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of the West African States (ECOWAS), during the launching of Business Investment Climate (BIC) programme at Africa House, Government House, Kano.

Casla assured that Kano state would be looked at very specially, looking at the strategic economic position of the state in the country. “We want Kano to look beyond the oil sector. Our intervention in the non-oil sector is deliberately to do away with poverty among the population, “ he encouraged.

Adding that they wanted to create more opportunities in business climate in the state, stressing that Kano being the commercial hub of the county. “As one of the most important states in the country and one of the leading cities on the continent, “ he emphasized.

The programme BIC is one of the components of the EU’s Nigeria Competitiveness Support Programme (NCSP), which has been designed to improve the business and investment environment through the improvement and implementation of regulatory frameworks.

It is gathered that, the programme has three pillars. These are Business Licencing Reform, Land Administration Reform and establishing a competition framework in Nigeria to support the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and other relevant ministries, departments and agencies.

During the event at the Government House, Kano, a total number of 175 field workers were inaugurated, in the area of Systematic Land Tilting and Registration (SLTR), under Land Administration Reform. Their work was aimed at reducing the cost of land property registration in 4 local government areas of the metropolis. In an effort to improve the investment environment for the construction industry in order to build a market offer for the housing, commercial and industrial property.