Kano state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, said preparations have been completed by his administration to seek for partners from Denmark who will invest in waste management sector.
The governor made the remark while receiving the Danish Consul General to Nigeria, Mr. Per Christensen, who paid him a courtesy visit at the government house.
Dr. Ganduje said Kano state needs investors who will key into the project so that it will be a multifaceted approach to deal with waste.
He further revealed that this waste management has to be done in a modern way, where it will be converted to economic items like fertilizer and power generation.
“There is no doubt that Kano state is the most populous state in the Federation. And Kano metropolitan is the second biggest city in the country, stressing that wherever you have a high population, one of the issues that has to be tackled is waste management, because people produce waste and that waste, as the name connotes, is a waste and if you don’t take care of it, it will waste you, because the side effect of waste everybody knows the answer, is a health challenges.
“Ordinarily, this is a Municipal issue, but as the population continue to grow, the issue cannot be handle by the Municipal government, even the State government cannot do it alone.
We tried it several times to see how we can tackle the problem, but we have to go into partnership with an organisation that has the expertise, commitment and seriousness.
“So, along the line we met Cape Gate, and we signed a Memorandum of Understanding and we go beyond that, we signed a “Memorandum of Action,” because what we require now is beyond the ”understanding”. Of course, we do understand, but we need to go into action,” the governor expressed.
He assured residents of the state that Kano state stand to benefit immensely from the Danish investors.
Dr. Ganduje thanked the Consul General for the visit and hoped that the it would boost the long existing relationship between the state and Denmark.
In his remark, the Danish Counsul General to Nigeria, Mr. Per Christensen, said he was in the state to discuss the possible corporation with the state authorities and their partner, Cape Gate Investment Limited to discuss waste management and waste treatment.
Mr. Christensen said Denmark has the technology and wire wizard on managing waste and wants to contribute to the development of Kano state, and the Danish government will invite delegates from authority of Kano state government and Cape Gate Ltd to visit the country.
The Consul expressed his gratitude and happiness for visiting Kano, which he described as an important state, stressing that this is not the first time he visit to State, as he was in the KANO in 1980.
Earlier speaking, the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Kabiru Ibrahim Getso, said the Danish Consul General visited some facilities of Cape Gate across the state, including Zaura Waste Recycling Plant, an eight-acre, Engineering landfield generation of power from waste at Dandalama and allocated to Cape Gate by the state government as part of its equity transfer.
The Commissioner highlighted the efforts of the state government made, through Ministry of Environment, which led to the partnership with Cape Gate Investment Limited.
He said the essence of going into that partnership is for Kano state government to be able to manage waste in a modern and sustainable manner.
Dr. Getso also revealed that the waste had been managed in the State for many years, but the state still suffer from health problems that were originated from indiscriminate dumping of waste.
He further explained to achieved the desired goal in waste management, the state government allocated 500 hectares of land to Cape Gate Investment where it will establish an engineered landfield where the waste collected will be transported, sorted out and processed in a scientific way to generate bio-gas that will provide electricity for the state and provide organic and inorganic fertilizer for farm products.
The Commissioner stressed that the project will add value to the state by generally improving the economy and providing employment to the teeming youths, improving revenue generation to the state, the electricity generated from the waste will boost industrial production, the fertilizer will also enhancing food security, and ensure that the environment will be managed in a sustainable manner.
