KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF KADUNA STATE, ARC MOHAMMED NAMADI SAMBO (fnia) AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 29^TH KADUNA INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR HELD ON 23^RD FEBRUARY, 2008

PROTOCOL

Today has indeed added a milestone to the lives of the good people, my person and Government of Kaduna State. For me, this is the first Kaduna Trade Fair I am hosting as the Executive Governor of Kaduna State. It is undoubtedly a very important event to witness the formal opening ceremony of the 29^th Kaduna International Trade Fair.

May I use this opportunity to on behalf of government and the good people of Kaduna State, commend the Kaduna State Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA) as well as private companies and concerns together with participants to express our profound and sincere appreciation to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Alh Umar Musa Yar’adua (GCON), and other guests that despite their tight schedules, they still found time to honour our invitation.

It is pertinent at this juncture to point out that occasions like this are meant to offer both exhibitors and participants the opportunity to compare skills, technologies and models for global economic development. They also provide avenues for exploring new markets, joint venture nurturing opportunities and sustaining better understanding among nationalities.

The leadership of Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture needs further commendation for not only staging the 29^th Trade Fair, but improving the management of the Fair as well. I will also like to appreciate the participants who displayed their wares, ideas and materials with high sense of dedication and endurance. Foreign participants must be commended for committing their enormous resources in conducting worthwhile discussions, negotiations and general business transactions with their local counterparts.

Kaduna State is endowed with vast opportunities and potentials for industrial, commercial and tourism growth and development that are available to be tapped. The State is centrally connected to all parts of the country by road, air and rail, strategically located and thus accessible from all parts of the country. It has good telecommunication network, electricity, water supply and of course vast arable land. These factors put together make the State very suitable for meaningful investment. Entrepreneurs are warmly invited to come and take advantage of these utilities so as to make Kaduna State their base for the production of wide range of products.

A lot of opportunities abound in such areas as agriculture and agro-allied industries, Solid Minerals exploration, Tourism Development and Service Industries. I humbly invite entrepreneurs to come and partake in our laudable initiative towards total transformation of Kaduna state through our palatable and irresistible incentives and windows of opportunities.

Very importantly, we have now put in place a conducive atmosphere for the establishment of different Commercial and Industrial activities. This is in the area of Peace and Security, Micro-economic Activities, Socio-economic Development Initiatives and promotion of Good Governance and business acumen amongst others. We believe that with this administration’s well-fashioned 11-Point Agenda, a very conducive atmosphere has been laid for appropriate Industrial, Commercial and Tourism undertakings in Kaduna State and thus making the future of the State brighter.

While the State is partnering with the Japanese Government in ensuring the coming into fruition of the Kagoro Hills Holiday Resort, this administration has encouraged very tremendously local entrepreneurs such as Belphins Holiday Resort in their quest to put in place such gigantic project that will cut across several Local Government Areas in the State

Accordingly, Kaduna State is willing to jointly undertake similar projects with interested entrepreneurs. Some of such projects are the Kangimi Dam Holiday Resort, The Matsirga Waterfall Resort, Nok Museum, Zaria Dam Holiday Resort just but to mention a few.

As for physical development, the government has abundant industrial layouts all over the State which it readily gives to serious entrepreneurs that are desirous of establishing viable ventures in the State including the establishment of an Industrial Park in Kaduna. In order to ease infrastructural requirements of investments, frantic efforts are being made to ensure steady supply of electricity to all the Local Government Headquarters and some major towns of the State. We acknowledge with appreciation Mr. President’s kind gesture in allowing the State the evacuation and use of the 30 mv Hydro-electricity to be produced at Gurara Water Transfer Project under construction in Kaduna State, as well as the Galma Dam projects.

We have established an agency for Hydro-Power Generation for the construction of additional hydro-electricity projects in each Senatorial Zone in the State. The essence is to create enabling environment and resuscitate our ailing textile industries which have all been shut down as a result of the lack of adequate power supply and some other factors of production thereby rendering thousands of people jobless.

Micro-credit facility for poverty alleviation has received our attention such that we have taken adequate measures to empower our people towards self-reliance

From the foregoing therefore, I feel strongly encouraged to invite you to visit Kaduna State Stand and also invite entrepreneurs to come and invest in the State. Details about investment opportunities are readily available from the State Ministry of Commerce and Industry; Ministry of Tourism Development; Kaduna State Industrial & Finance Company Limited; and Kaduna Agricultural Development Project. We therefore look forward to receiving you and your investments in Kaduna State soonest.

Your Excellency, Distinguished Guests, friends and well-wishers, you will be availed shortly, participants and exhibitors from other countries, State as well as private entrepreneurs displaying varieties of goods and services especially in the agro-allied and solid mineral sectors, fabricated equipments, models, leather works and arts and crafts products. Sir, it is important to emphasize here that the organizations you are about to visit are only a few of the many organizations displaying their potentials.

Finally, I wish to use this opportunity to express our deep appreciation for the support His Excellency Alh Umar Musa Yar’adua has been extending to our dear State and government agencies to ensure effective development.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, you are once more welcome to the 29^th Kaduna International Trade Fair and we do hope you will have a fruitful and rewarding stay.

With these few remarks, I have the singular honour and privilege to invite His Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Alh Umaru Musa Yar’adua to present his address. Mr. President Sir.

Thank you and God bless.

Governor Arch Mohammed Namadi Sambo is a true democrat, whose approach to problems is always humane and conciliatory he is a man of peace who patiently looked to the future with courage and hope. His commitment in the direction of transforming the state into a relatively better integrated and functional polity is continuing  with a mission  to create a stable  and cohesive polity capable of securing effectively the interests of the various communities and giving them the opportunity to develop and live in peace  with one another.