The House of Representatives on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on the ailing industrial estates of Bompai, Sharada, and Chalawa in Kano State, urging immediate intervention to revive manufacturing activities and avert a looming economic crisis.
In a motion moved by Hon. Hassan Shehu Hussain (NNPP, Kano), the House urged the Federal Government to collaborate with key agencies and establish a credit scheme aimed at supporting the revitalization of industries in these estates. Lawmakers also recommended the withdrawal of incentives that favour the importation of products which can be locally manufactured, in a bid to curb unfair competition and promote indigenous industries.
The House directed the Federal Ministries of Trade, Industry and Investment, Works, and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to work jointly with the Kano State Government to tackle core challenges—multiple taxation, poor road infrastructure, and inadequate energy supply—crippling industrial output in the region.
According to Hussain, Kano’s economic strength and industrial relevance in Northern Nigeria—and neighbouring countries like Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and Mali—stem largely from the contribution of the Bompai, Sharada, and Chalawa industrial clusters. With an estimated 1,000 factories once operating in these estates, they historically employed over 1.5 million skilled and unskilled workers, significantly contributing to national GDP and revenue generation.
However, citing data from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Hussain warned of a consistent decline in manufacturing since 2014. He said many once-bustling factories have now been reduced to warehouses, rented for storage purposes, rather than serving as productive centers.
The decline, he argued, is due to a combination of poor infrastructure—erratic power and water supply, dilapidated roads, collapsed railway system, multiple taxes, and the distance from seaports, which increases logistics costs.
He raised concerns about the rising unemployment and social insecurity in Kano, linking them to the downturn in industrial activity. The lawmaker cautioned that if urgent measures are not taken, these conditions could escalate into a broader socio-economic crisis, especially in the face of current economic strains such as the fuel subsidy removal.
The House’s resolution is expected to guide the Federal Government in deploying targeted industrial policies to restore Kano’s position as a manufacturing hub and stimulate regional economic development.
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