By Nasir Dambatta
Since taking office in May 2023, Governor Uba Sani has turned Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the heartbeat of Kaduna State’s economic renewal. In less than two years, what once looked like lofty promises has morphed into solid deals, running into billions of dollars. Kaduna today is not just talking investment — it is securing it.
One of the latest big strikes came with the $62.8 million Kuwait Fund deal for critical infrastructure. Hot on its heels was a $120 million partnership with Romania, targeted at agriculture and industrial growth. These early gains announced one fact loudly: global confidence in Kaduna was back.
Then came the extractive and urban wave. A $300 million MoU with Atlantic Mining Techniques Ltd is set to unlock the state’s huge solid mineral deposits. Alongside it, talks have reached advanced stage for a $150 million smart city project, an ambitious plan to position Kaduna as a hub for digital infrastructure and modern living.
The Asian front has also been decisive. Within seven months, Chinese firms declared interest worth over $350 million, covering agriculture, infrastructure, and resource development. Several Memoranda of Understanding are already signed, awaiting rollout.
Added to this is the $503 million FDI inflow between 2023 and 2024, powered by global giants like Huawei and Qatar Charity. And Kaduna has secured a place in the $520 million Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) scheme of the African Development Bank and IFAD — a project with the potential to generate half a million jobs.

Altogether, Governor Sani’s efforts have pulled in over $2 billion in commitments in less than two years. Not all have hit the ground yet, but the spread is striking — agriculture, mining, tourism, education, telecoms, infrastructure, and smart technology. This is not scattergun diplomacy; it is strategy at work.
By aligning Kaduna’s natural strengths with global capital flows, Uba Sani is redrawing the state’s economic map. The real test now is speed — ensuring these commitments quickly leave the paper stage to become life-changing projects for the people.
What is undeniable is this: under Uba Sani, Kaduna has stepped into the global investment arena with renewed confidence, deliberate partnerships, and a brighter economic horizon than it has seen in decades.
*Dambatta is Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Print Media