Kano State Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf asked the British government to help bring outside investment to the state, saying it could expand commercial activity and employment, BusinessDay reported.
Yusuf made the request on Oct. 30 at Government House in Kano, where he received British High Commissioner to Nigeria Pete Vowles during a familiarization visit, the newspaper reported. BusinessDay said Yusuf viewed the meeting as an opening to broaden economic cooperation.
He pointed to connections between Kano and the United Kingdom shaped by commerce, culture, diplomacy and history, arguing they could support wider economic engagement, BusinessDay reported. Yusuf said a stronger British presence could help businesses grow, generate work and improve residents’ economic prospects.
The governor also said his administration would work to make the state more welcoming to overseas investors and development partners. He described the visit as a chance to build on existing ties, consider further areas for cooperation and pursue arrangements that could benefit both Kano and Britain, the paper reported.
Vowles was open to closer contact and the possibility of additional joint work, BusinessDay said. The report described Kano as a significant trading hub for Nigeria’s north and framed the appeal as part of a broader effort to draw international funding, strengthen local businesses and widen economic opportunity.
The report said overseas ties may provide Kano with funding, specialist knowledge and links to international businesses. Residents could benefit if those links lead to operating enterprises, lasting jobs and better household welfare, but the report describes these as possible results by which to measure the effort’s success rather than results of this visit.
BusinessDay said any economic return would depend on Kano turning diplomatic contact into viable openings for investors. It cited consistent public rules, dependable infrastructure, security and business conditions as factors in that process. The report said the effort’s eventual payoff could be measured by whether it produces productive firms, durable employment and better living conditions.
