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Kano State builds Yantebura mall, aims to catch up with Dubai soon

By Adamu Abuh, just back from Kano
28 March 2017   |   2:02 am
Kano, the capital of the state has always remained at the forefront when it comes to commercial activities in the Northern part of the country. However ,  the city center is doing all it can to keep up with Dubai in no distant time to come.

Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje

• Ganduje vows to complete Kanawa economic city

Kano, the capital of the state has always remained at the forefront when it comes to commercial activities in the Northern part of the country. However ,  the city center is doing all it can to keep up with Dubai in no distant time to come.

The sight of state of state of the art dual carriageways, underpass bridges,  affordable housing scheme,  an independent power plant,  newly built hospitals and security infrastructures spread across the state speaks volume of the preparedness of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to enhance the wellbeing of the citizenry in kano state.
Among the initiative was the decision by the state government to embark on the construction of the Yantebura mall within the popular Kantin Kwari textile market in the kano metropolis.

The 946 capacity lock up shop mall is designed to accommodate no fewer than 4, 200 petty traders who hitherto had to grapple with both the rainy and scorchy sunny weather conditions to eke out a living for themselves.

Constructed under the public private partnership (PPP) arrangement,  the mall is billed to be completed on the 29th May when the Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje led administration clocks two years on assumption of power.

Governor Ganduje who took journalists round to showcase on -going work at the site stated that arrangement have also been concluded to standards of facilities at the Sabongari,  Kofar Wambai,  and Dawanau markets which are integral to the booming commercial activities within the kano metropolis.
Kantin Kwari textile market is rated the largest market in northern Nigeria, with thousands of traders from all over Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries doing business there on daily basis.

Ganduje shed light on the project thus: “Our plan is to make the market functioning during the day and the night as well, that is why we are providing street light, it will be fenced with gate, there will be scanners at the gate, Police station, Traffic officers, Fire Service, Court to prosecute the offenders and other security agencies will be
fully provided. 

“The market is one of the oldest markets in Kano in the Northern part of Nigeria. This international market started during the trans Sahara trade more than 2000 years ago. The founders were original Arabs who came here over 2000 years ago and their decendants are still here trading in the market and of recent there are Chines people who have also joined. 

“The metropolitan Kano is a mega city but Mega city is not judged by population. A mega city is judge by the infrastructures and the functioning of services, and that is why wr said we must have political will, economic and political consideration in other to improve the commercial activities of Kano because the state is not only the nerve center of the North, it is also the nerve centers of most of the cities in West Africa.” 

“Even though we wanted to improve the market, we have also to consider the small traders, therefore we undertook a censor and enumeration. While we are improving the market, we don’t want the petty traders to be put out of jobs and suffer, and that is why we are constructing two major blocks.

“This project is Public Private Partnership (PPP). No single kobo of government has been spent on it. It is a matter of taking a lot of variables into considerations, it is a matter of putting initiations into practice and it is a matter of having a political will to improve situation without endangering yourself into political problems. 
“All we have done is that all the facilities including the land is a government land, therefore, the cost of government land is transforming into market. We have nine roads with drainages that are been constructed. We realised that when we do this government will alsi benefit through the collection of revenue while the developer will collect rent.

The Managing Director of Kano Urban Planning and Development Agency (KNUPDA) Arch. Bashir Mudi Adamu, disclosed that there were nine roads within the market costing about N800 million adding the state government could earn internally generated revenue (IGR) of a N100 million annually from the initiative.

Not too far away is the multi billion naira worth Kanawa Economic City project situated along the kano western bypass along Zaria road being constructed on a daily basis.
Already,  Ganduje has struck a deal with Brains & Hammers Limited for the construction of the massive multi billion project conceptualized over 11 years ago when his predecessor,  Ibrahim Shekarau was at the helm.

The total direct project cost put at over 167 Billion naira is expected to be completed within the next four years.  The projwxt is be carried out in 3 phases on a land size of about 121 hectares.

It has been projected that the major breakthrough when completed will provide over half a million jobs to the people of Kano State and beyond, and is expected to provide over 10 thousand retail shops, 160 warehouses; a standard shopping mall, an international conference center, a World trade center, light factories, a motel and hotel, banks, clinic, among other facilities that will be made available in this world class international market the 1st of its kind in West Africa.

Ganduje who was also on site to assess the progress of work expressed optimism that the kanawa city market will significantly transform the economic situation of Kano State and tremendously enhance economic activities of the state.

Expressing optimism that President Muhammadu Buhari would soon be on hand to lay the foundation of kanawa city project,  he reiterated his resolve to build on the achievement of his predecessors.

Justifying the rationale behind constructing the two markets under a PPP arrangement ,  he said: “The PPP there is that because it is in the heart of the city,  the land there is very expensive.  So we redesign the markets to some extent and found out some parcels of land within the market,  resettled some of the petty petty traders and gave way for a land to be developed by a developer and what we requested from the developer are infrastructural facilities within the market. 

“So you can see that we are not committing our money for that and yet we are able to get all the roads constructed with drainages,  with street lights and also to see how the petty traders can be accommodated by the private developer. And at ths end of it a condition will be created for the state to get revenue.  So its a win -win situation for which are are happy with.

“ If we didnt have the initiation and the forsight to engage a private developer,  things would just be like that and we are having problems with fire outbreaks here and there. And the other one is the economic city.  As I told you the economic city is our own responsibility. We paid compensation,  we resettled some villagers in that area and we have provided tbe certificate if occupancy.  That is our own contribution to the development.

“Some of the assets will belong to the state government here and the management of the whole place will be between the developers and the state government and most importantly an avenue for taxation has been created at no cost. In the long run,  whatever you see there is taxable.  So to us,  it is a good omen. And we are happy with that. “

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