Kaduna has more commercial gold than South Africa – El-Rufai

By AbdulRaheem Aodu
Kaduna

Kaduna state now boasts raw gold deposits in commercial quantities in Birnin Gwari area of larger than the entire gold deposit in the Republic of South Africa, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has said.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the first Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit, (KadIvest) yesterday in Kaduna, he urged investors to tap into the huge mineral and agricultural resources that the state was endowed with to do business in Kaduna, adding that the new vision of his administration “is to make Kaduna a state programmed for abundant investments, economic opportunities and prosperity.”

El-Rufai also said his administration had put all mechanism in place to  ensure adequate peace and security, good governance, improved quality of lives,  and social inclusion for the people and investors coming to do business in the state.
He said: “We have just found that there is more gold in Birnin Gwari local government area of Kaduna than in South Africa.We are discussing with a large international mining company to come and explore our gold reserves in Kaduna state.

“We are focusing on mining and agriculture in creating jobs in this state. The mining company we are discussing with is going to take our local miners and train them and will group them into cooperatives so that they would become like sub contractors to them and be able to work with them. We are working with the federal government to ensure that this happens.

“In its breadth and scope, the plan leaves no one behind. Children, young adults and the elderly have the state as an ally for the pressing needs of their status. This is not utopia, but a deliberate, incremental improvements to enhance the the life chances of our people.”
The Governor said while Kaduna, as a capital city, remained northern Nigeria’s second largest commercial city, it had lost up to 70 per cent of its buoyant economic activities.
According to him, the government is committed to tackle the daunting development challenges that are facing the state.

He pointed out that Kaduna was divided along religious, regional and ethnic lines due to religious and ethnic intolerance, adding that “poor infrastructure, insecurity and unconvincing policies have deterred investments.”
“We have a duty to restore harmony and encourage shared property, our problems are many and, therefore, our priorities will be the few key things that will allow our people the chance to fulfil their highest aspirations.”