The Lagos and Kano State Governments on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for economic partnership to explore investment opportunities aimed at creating jobs and facilitating growth and development.
The MoU was signed by Governors Akinwunmi Ambode and Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Lagos and Kano States respectively.
It was signed at the closing ceremony of the inaugural Lagos-Kano Economic and Investment Summit at Epe in Lagos.
The MoU is to create a common platform for exploring, expanding and developing areas of economic development and Investment.
According to the MoU, the two states agreed to expand the current level of economic and investment cooperation.
In her closing remarks, the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, said that the MoU was a clear testament of the commitment of both states to collaborate in the overall best interest of the people.
”The two governors are telling the entire world that collaboration, cooperation and partnership can always work to bring about economic sufficiency in our states and off course the entire nation.
”Our minds have been availed with torrents of ideas, information, statistics, interpretation and above all, vision and collaboration leading to economic sufficiency.
“I am convinced that the most valuable outcome of this engagement is the fact that we have governors who have vision and the opportunity of sharing this vision.
”Today, we are not just sharing the vision, but providing an enabling environment for this vision to be actualised.
”We have the political will; today, the political will has been demonstrated and it signifies the fact that we are ready for business.
”Lagos and Kano mean business and we are ready for business,” she said.
The MoU also covers key areas of Governance, Security, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Agricultural Value Chain, Tourism, Education, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Skills Development.
Others are: Commerce with specific focus on ease of doing business and Infrastructure in Power, Transportation and Urban Waste Management and to establish a formal and flexible framework between the two states to expand trade and investment cooperation.
It will also foster scientific and technological collaboration for business development in emerging key sectors, strengthen communication, enhance trust, boost economic development and create jobs.
Under the agreement, the two states also set up a Technical Working Group to oversee the implementation of the objectives of the MoU.
