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Agency Seeks Synergy with FAAN to Boost Investment Potentials
By JAMEEL GULMA, Kebbi
The Kebbi Investment Promotion Agency (KIPA), on Tuesday sought synergy with the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to attract investment opportunities into Kebbi and Nigeria.
Dr Mohammed Kabir-Kamba, Director-General of KIPA, stated this during a courtesy visit on the Airport Manager of Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport, Birnin Kebbi at his office.
The D-G said to facilitate, coordinate and create a conducive environment for investment into Kebbi State, “we feel we should create this relationship with your ministry.
In the beginning of our activities, we have planned to build the brand of Kebbi Investment Promotion Agency as well as the state. Part of doing that is to build partnerships and relationships with strategic organisations and this is one of the most strategic places we should be.
We are well aware that most of the people that pass through this gate are mostly our target, we are targeting people of high profile, who have the capacity to invest in Kebbi and this is the gate they pass through,” he said.
Kabir-Kamba said the essence of the visit was to bridge the gap between the two organisations and to build a strategic relationship with FAAN to leverage the airport space “so that we can promote the state across all airports in Nigeria.
We also want to build relationships with air careers or airlines that land in Kebbi, that’s very important because it will be an avenue where we can disseminate and advocate potentials that Kebbi has.
We hope we will reach our target by bringing the required investment in agriculture, energy, transformation, health and education.
We are truly aware that Kebbi is strategically located at the gate of West Africa, that’s very important,” he noted.
The D-G said the agency wanted to project the state as the gate into the West African markets “where there are over 600 million people on the markets whose goods and services come into Nigeria.”
He expressed optimism that the relationship would be of mutual benefit to both organisations, saying, “together we can build a very strong and viable economic base for our people.”
Responding, the Permanent Secretary, who is also the Airport Manager, Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport, Birnin Kebbi, Alhaji Habib Muhammad-Sabi, appreciated the D-G for the visit and assured him of viable partnership.
He said, as par the target and mission of the organisation, which is investment promotion into the state, the airport had been promoting such mission.
Muhammad-Sabi recalled that before he assumed duty as manger of the airport, there was no aircraft operating between Kebbi and any other place, forcing Kebbi passengers to use Sokoto airport to and fro anywhere.
He, however, noted with satisfaction that with the support of Gov. Nasir Idris, today NG Ego Airline and Max Airline operate from Kebbi, adding that they were still in talks with other airlines like; Sky Power, Umza Airline, Nazia Airline among others.
We are in talks with these airlines, especially Nazia Airline, our plan operation with them is that it will be operating from Birnin Kebbi to Kano, Birnin Kebbi to Lagos and from Birnin Kebbi to Cotonou, Birnin Republic.
We believe if we do that we will promote investment into Kebbi. That’s why we are into talks with these airlines and we hope when they start they will cover the whole Northwest,” he assured.
The manager used the medium to appeal to the Federal Government to consider the possibility of completing the Cargo Terminal under construction at the airport, which according to him, is still at the foundation stage after many years of commencement of the project.
