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OBJECTIVES OF THE FORUM

The main objective of the conference was to provide the platform for all stakeholders from both the Public and the Private sectors to examine the challenges and opportunities in the development of Infrastructure in Africa through the Public Private Partnerships (PPP) Initiatives particularly in the Energy, Transport, Water and Health sectors. It was also meant to build on the experiences of PPPs in Africa and elsewhere by critically examining the underlying principles needed to establish the legal, institutional and economic regulatory framework necessary for the implementation of such initiatives.

 

Apart from opening investment frontiers for new investors the forum was also designed to bring together European investors who already have sizeable investments in Nigeria but are now desirous of expanding such investments.      

 

PARTICIPATION  AT  THE   PPP  CONFERENCE

The conference drew participants from the public and private sectors of the economy in Africa, Europe and Asia.

 

The delegation from Kaduna State was led by His Excellency, the Executive Governor, Arc. Mohammed Namadi Sambo, FNIA, comprised of Honourable Commissioners for Finance, Water Resources, Commerce and Industry, Work and Transport and Economic Planning as well as the Special Adviser on ICT, the General Manager, Water Board, the Managing Director, State Industrial and Finance Company and the Director General, PPP.  

 

His Excellency the Executive Governor participated as one of the distinguished panellists at the Roundtable session during which he made presentation on Investment opportunities in Kaduna State and effectively contributed to the discussions which were centred on the imperatives of PPPs in African development initiatives. The presentation made on State covered investment opportunities in principally the following areas:

 

1)    Kaduna New Millennium City

2)    Power Projects (Fuel and Hydro Power plants)

3)    Transport (Roads, Railways etc)

4)    Agriculture (Agricultural processing plants, Irrigation schemes, Fertilizer blending plants)

5)    Water supply

6)    Commercial infrastructure development (Markets, Shopping complex etc)

7)    Environment

8)    Solid minerals

9)    Science and Technology

10)  Culture and Tourism.

 

In addition to the presentations, documentary materials (hardcopies and CDs) depicting the achievements of the state Government and the numerous investment opportunities in the state were distributed to the participants.

 

One of the presentations made at the plenary sessions was on the ongoing Lekki Expressway Concession in Lagos Nigeria. The presentation centred on the various options  for packaging appropriate modules for financing Roads Projects in Nigeria.

 

MEETING WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT OPERATIONS, INFRASTRUCTURE, PRIVATE SECTOR AND REGIONAL INTEGRATION, AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

His Excellency used the opportunity of break times at the Conference to meet with Mr. Bobby J. Pittman Vice President, Operations; Infrastructure, Private Sector and Regional Integration and Dr Shehu Yahaya, the Vice President Operations of African Development Bank. At the meeting, the Governor briefed the ADB Vice President on the various development projects that have either been executed, ongoing or planned for implementation in the state. He also intimated the Vice President of his intention to approach the Bank for possible funding of the projects earmarked for execution. While noting with satisfaction the efforts of His Excellency to transform the Socio-economic landscape of the State the ADB Vice President advised that the request for funding of the projects be formally submitted to the Bank for consideration.

 

MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT AFRICAN  DEVELOPMENT BANK

On Thursday 3^rd December 2009 His Excellency the executive Governor led the state delegation to the headquarters of the ADB where they had an audience with its President, Mr. Donald Kaberuka during which he was briefed on the various developmental initiatives of the current administration in the State. The governor particularly sought for the support of the Bank in funding the following projects:

 

• Power Sector: ITISI , Bakin Kogi and Buruku Yola multipurpose dams for mini hydro power and irrigation projects

• Water Resources:  Zaria Regional Water Supply Expansion Project and Development of small irrigation schemes on earth dams.

• Urban  Development Sector: Infrastructural Development for Kaduna Millennium City

• Commercial Development Sector: Re-Development of Sabon-Gari  and Kafanchan Markets  and development of Kaduna Metropolitan Shopping Mall

• Health sector: Operation, management and maintenance of the 300 Bed Specialist & Teaching Hospital

• Poverty Alleviation  and Reduction Programmes: create access to financing to the lower income units and S.M.Es

• ICT Sector: Create ICT Backbone Infrastructure

His Excellency also submitted a request to the Bank for special intervention on the Statewide Roads programme (i.e. construction of Road network connectivity to various towns and villages for Socio-economic development in the Kaduna State.
 
Impressed with the laudable programmes of the State Government the President pledged to support the state in the implementation of the projects particularly the Zaria Water supply project, the Power projects and development of ICT infrastructure. He noted that this was the first time a State Governor would make such a presentation to the Bank. He therefore directed that a technical session be held between the State delegation and the management of the Bank immediately.
 
TECHNICAL  SESSION  WITH  THE  MANAGEMENT  TEAM  OF  ADB
At the technical session which was coordinated by Mr. Urdu Aloysius Uche, the Nigerian Vice President of ADB a detailed presentation was made to the Bank management team which comprised of among others the Vice President Operations, the Executive Director Operations, Country Representatives and Senior Advisers. The session was held concurrently with a video conferencing involving the ADB Country Office in Abuja, Nigeria. The ADB team noted with satisfaction the manner in which the project proposals were packaged which makes their evaluation much easier. The projects proposed to the Bank for funding were reviewed and the following decisions were reached:
ADB will support the Zaria Water supply project, the proposed Hydro power projects in the State and the development of ICT backbone infrastructure ;

• ADB will support Higher education, the development of the millennium City and some PPP Projects in the State;

• A technical Review Mission will be sent by the Bank to Kaduna in January 2010

VISIT  TO  THE  NIGERIAN  EMBASSY  IN  TUNIS
His Excellency and the delegation paid a visit to the Nigerian Embassy in Tunis where they were received by the Charge D’affairs, Ambassador Abdulkadir Musa Abdulkadir MNI who commended His Excellency for the visionary and purposeful leadership he is providing for the State as well as his wisdom in approaching the ADB Group with a view to benefitting from the Bank’s funding support for developmental projects. He called on other State Governments in Nigeria to emulate Kaduna state in this direction.
 
ACHIEVEMENTS
The trip to Tunisia afforded His Excellency and the delegation the opportunity to showcase not only the various achievements of the current Administration but also the numerous investments opportunities that abound in the state. Furthermore, based on the various presentations made by His Excellency the President and the management of the ADB fully appreciated the developmental programmes which are aimed at the socio-economic

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