(Kano. Photo Credit; Nation News)
As the state solidifies its standing as one of Nigeria’s top commercial hubs, the recently opened Hajaj-ZOEC Digital Market in Kano is expected to generate over N50 billion in yearly revenue and create over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs.
A state-of-the-art facility developed through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between the Kano State Government, Hajaj ZOEC Real Estate Limited and ZOEC Construction was opened on Saturday at the site of the former Luxury Bus Park on New Road, Tudun Wada, Sabon Gari.
At the inauguration, the Chief Executive Officer of Hajaj ZOEC Real Estate Limited, Alhaji Jamilu Abdussalam, described the facility as one of the largest dedicated electrical and electronics markets in West Africa, designed to position Kano as a major commercial and distribution hub for both Nigeria and the wider African continent while reducing the need for traders to travel to China to source goods in bulk.
He explained that the market was conceived as an opportunity not just for Kano State or Northern Nigeria, but for the entire continent, enabling traders to place bulk orders locally rather than travelling abroad.
According to him, the project, valued at between N25 billion and N30 billion, is designed to accommodate more than 1,500 shops and bring dealers in electrical and electronic products under a single roof, with modern infrastructure aimed at enhancing trade, investment and ease of doing business.
Abdussalam said the project had already drawn international investors, with companies from China and Egypt setting up permanent showrooms within the complex, adding that between 60 and 65 per cent of the shops had already been sold ahead of the market’s full commencement of operations.
He said the facility includes a basement parking area with capacity for about 700 vehicles, underground storage facilities capable of holding more than 30 40-foot containers, a central firefighting system and modern sprinkler installations.
Highlighting the project’s economic impact, he said more than 1,000 workers were engaged daily during construction, with over 8,000 people already benefiting from its value chain.
He projected that once fully operational, the market would directly and indirectly benefit more than 100,000 people.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, represented by his Special Assistant (Technical), Kabir Aminu Dutse, said the Federal Government had removed major bottlenecks associated with Public-Private Partnership arrangements in order to encourage greater private sector investment in infrastructure development, noting that the ministry had developed a workable PPP framework accessible to investors both within Nigeria and internationally.
Ata described the Hajaj-ZOEC Digital Market as a reflection of the growing role of digitalisation in modern commerce, stressing that technology-driven markets are essential to economic growth and global competitiveness, and that meaningful improvements in commerce worldwide continue to be driven by digital innovation, of which this project is an example.
The minister commended Hajaj ZOEC Real Estate Limited, ZOEC Construction, Summit Bank and the Kano State Government for delivering what he described as a landmark investment, adding that the project would expand commerce, attract investment, create jobs and reinforce Kano’s long-standing status as one of Nigeria’s leading commercial centres.
The opening ceremony drew government officials, business leaders, investors, development partners and other industry stakeholders, who expressed optimism that the Hajaj-ZOEC Digital Market would boost regional trade, deepen investment and strengthen Kano’s position as Northern Nigeria’s commercial hub.
