Writing By Bello Wakili; Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has provided key updates on the Kaduna Smart City initiative, a project undertaken in collaboration with Huawei Technologies.
This statement came while answering questions from State House journalists after a closed-door meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Governor Sani highlighted that during a bilateral meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China, several agreements were signed, including an MoU between Kaduna State and Huawei Technologies Limited.
This initiative aims to enhance security, improve public service efficiency and transparency, and implement smart systems in healthcare, education, public transportation, and e-government.
Governor Sani confirmed that a joint committee had been established to oversee the implementation of the MoU.
“We returned from China a few days ago and immediately set up a committee between the Kaduna State Government and Huawei to ensure the timely execution of the project,” he stated.
Addressing questions on the flood disaster in Borno State, Governor Sani expressed his condolences.
He revealed that over 100 lives were lost, according to updates from Vice President Shettima. “It’s a tragedy. The federal and Borno state governments are making concerted efforts to save more lives and restore normalcy,” he said.
The governor also noted that Kaduna State had experienced similar challenges, with four bridges affected by floods, impacting 60 communities across three local government areas.
He assured that Kaduna’s environmental management agency was working diligently to address the situation and educate residents on the dangers posed by climate change and negligence.
In a forward-looking statement, Governor Sani mentioned that private investors are keen to join the Kaduna Smart City project, which is expected to create about 100,000 direct jobs, with indirect jobs potentially reaching 500,000.
“We’ve also signed an agreement with Google to train and support 5,000 women in the digital economy,” he added.
The governor estimated that the project could attract up to $150 million in investments, while the state has already secured over $350 million from Chinese companies in various sectors, including solid resources, infrastructure, and agriculture.
