Katsina State Government on Friday signed an agreement with a solar farm and construction companies to create enabling infrastructure and environment that will attract more investors into the state.

The state government is already establishing an 800-hectare industrial park otherwise called Green Economic Zone along the Jibia Road, Katsina State.

During the signing ceremony held at the Katsina Investment Promotion Agency on Friday, the Director General of the Agency, Ibrahim Jikamshi, explained that the aim is to also market and promote the zone to attract investors of three different calibers.

He announced that the 2023 and 2nd subnational ease of doing business ranking report recently released by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council has ranked Katsina number fifth (5th) in the ease of doing business.

The state, he said, is now ahead of Lagos, Ogun, and 30 others including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

He recalled that in the 2021 ranking, Katsina State was number nine despite the challenge of insecurity facing the state because it has gone digital.

On his part, the County Representative/Facilitator representing Afri-Nig Limited, PTM Power Limited, and Asbat Construction Limited, Mr. Tope Banjako, said the agreement will soon be implemented.

He maintained that the housing complex will be designed to have amenities such as a police post, 20-bedroom hotel, small clinic, school, playing area, fuel station, and electric charging point.

“And regarding the solar farm, we are looking at building an expandable 100 megawatts.

“The focus of Afri-Nig Limited is to participate in the renewable energy space of Nigeria and the rest of Africa but we are starting with Nigeria now to be able to participate in the African free trade because it’s a free zone.

“We also want to set up a training school to bridge the huge gap existing which is going to meet up with international standards.

“The long-term idea is to make Katsina State the hub for renewable energy in the North because 30 percent of the government expenditure is on renewable energy because the intensity of sunshine is more in the North than that of the South with the difference of four to five hours and cost of batteries is coming down.

“So, it’s appropriate and right thinking that emphasis should be made to locate such infrastructure in the North, especially in Katsina State Green Economic Zone,” he added.