The Kano State Government has expressed readiness to deepen trade and investment ties with Saudi Arabia, identifying agriculture, education, healthcare, renewable energy and industrial development as areas with potential for greater cooperation.
The Deputy Governor, Murtala Sule Garo, stated this on Wednesday while representing Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf at the 96th National Day celebration of Saudi Arabia organised by the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Kano.
The event brought together government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, business leaders and other prominent guests. The event was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Public Relations Officer, Office of the Deputy Governor, Lurwanu Idris Malikawa Garu.
Garo said the state government was open to engagements with Saudi institutions, businesses and development partners in areas capable of creating economic opportunities and supporting development.
“The State Government is open to engagement with Saudi institutions, businesses and development partners in areas that could create economic opportunities and support development,” Garo said.
The deputy governor said Kano’s longstanding role as a major commercial centre in northern Nigeria offered opportunities for partnerships in trade, investment, employment and skills development.
He said relations between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia were rooted in longstanding historical, religious, cultural and economic connections, noting that Kano had maintained centuries-old links with the Kingdom through Islamic scholarship, trade and cultural exchange.
Garo identified trade, investment, agriculture, education, healthcare and human capital development as areas for further cooperation, while acknowledging Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian contributions to Nigeria.
He also highlighted the work of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre and the Kingdom’s role in the successful separation and treatment of conjoined twins born in Kano.
Trade, investment, agriculture, education, healthcare and human capital development were among the areas identified by the deputy governor for further cooperation between Kano and Saudi Arabia, according to the statement.
Garo said renewable energy, industrial development, public infrastructure and investment could also provide opportunities for cooperation, noting the role of government institutions and the private sector in creating opportunities for people in Kano and Saudi Arabia.
Speaking at the celebration, the Consul General of Saudi Arabia in Kano, Ambassador Khalil Ahmed Admawi, said relations between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria had grown since diplomatic ties were established in 1961.
Admawi said the relationship covered trade and investment, education, culture, religious affairs and humanitarian cooperation.
He also highlighted developments under Saudi Vision 2030, including economic diversification, technology, artificial intelligence, infrastructure and digital government, as areas that could provide opportunities for international cooperation.
“Relations between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria have grown since diplomatic ties were established in 1961, covering trade and investment, education, culture, religious affairs and humanitarian cooperation,” Admawi said.
Among those who attended the celebration were the Chairman of the Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Kabiru Bature, who represented the Katsina State Governor; Prof. Ahmad Shehu Galadanci of Murshid Central Mosque, Abuja; and business leaders including Dahiru Barau Mangal, Tajudeen Dantata and Alhamsad.
Members of the Kano State Executive Council, special advisers, former Nigerian ambassadors to Saudi Arabia and members of the diplomatic corps from Lebanon, Pakistan, Benin Republic, France, Sudan, Niger, Chad and Cameroon also attended.
The celebration featured a traditional Saudi dance, with Garo, the Saudi representative and other dignitaries joining the performance.
The event provided a platform for Kano and Saudi stakeholders to discuss the state’s commercial potential and possible partnerships in trade, investment and other sectors.
