Mohamed Garba
The European Union is set to significantly increase its investment footprint in Kano State, focusing on key sectors like agriculture, renewable energy, digitalisation, health, and education. This announcement came during a visit by the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, who praised Kano’s potential as a regional powerhouse for development and innovation.
Speaking during a courtesy call to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Mignot said the EU’s renewed interest in Kano aligns with the Global Gateway Strategy — a comprehensive initiative aimed at fostering sustainable growth through partnerships in infrastructure, digital transformation, and human capital development.
“In Kano, there is already a notable history to this partnership,” Mignot said. “We’ve seen impact through renewable energy projects in schools and health centres, support for smallholder farmers, and investments in the leather and garment sector. Now, we want to deepen that engagement, especially in ways that generate jobs and empower young people and women.”
The ambassador was accompanied by officials from key development partners, including Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), and others. The delegation’s visit coincided with activities marking Europe Month, which this year featured lectures and dialogues with business and government leaders in Kano.
Mignot emphasised the EU’s plan to scale up investment in northern Nigeria, highlighting the importance of Kano not just within Nigeria but across the broader Sahel region. “We have an agenda focusing on the green and digital economy. Kano is a strategic development platform — one that presents tremendous opportunities for trade, investment, and innovation,” he said.
He added that the EU, working as “Team Europe” alongside its member states and financial institutions like the European Investment Bank, is ready to deploy a combination of grants, loans, guarantees, and technical support to boost development in line with local priorities.
Governor Yusuf welcomed the partnership and expressed Kano’s readiness to collaborate on sustainable development initiatives. He described the state as Nigeria’s most populous and its commercial heartbeat — uniquely positioned to benefit from and contribute to global investment flows.
“We thank the EU for choosing Kano as the focus for this year’s Europe Month,” the governor said. “We appreciate your past contributions and ask for more. Our doors are open for further cooperation in energy, agriculture, digital economy, and education.”
The governor highlighted Kano’s efforts in human capital development, pointing to a government-funded scholarship programme that has already sent 1,100 students abroad — 680 of whom have returned, many with first-class degrees in fields like medicine, pharmacy, and engineering. He said those graduates have been offered immediate employment by the state government.
Governor Yusuf also praised the recent EU-organised ‘Study Fair’ in Kano, which provided scholarship opportunities to Nigerian students. “We’ll be coming to you again for more support in securing admissions for our students in Europe,” he told the ambassador.
As the EU scales up its commitment, the collaboration between Kano and Europe could serve as a model for how targeted international partnerships can help unlock economic and social transformation in Nigeria’s northern regions.
