The Place of Manufacturing Industries in the Economy of Kaduna State, 1987- 2008

Abstract

This paper studies the contributions of manufacturing industries to Kaduna State’s economy, 1987 - 2008. The paper reveals that almost all the industries in Kaduna State are located in Zaria and Kaduna urban centres. The study also shows that the locations of these industries in Kaduna and Zaria were influenced by government policy and market opportunities. For example, a high concentration of textile manufacturing industries in Kaduna, with just two in Zaria, and none in Soba, Maigana, or Saminaka, which are cotton-producing towns. Some of the major manufacturing industries in the State include Super Phosphate Fertiliser Company Ltd., National Oil and Chemical Company Ltd and Petro-chemical Company Ltd. There are other small to medium scale industries that are too numerous to list but are very important in providing portable equipment for rural dwellers’ use. In contrast, the manufacturing sector has been relatively stagnant and losing from 6 percent in 1985 to a range between 4 and 5 percent during the 1990-2007 period. Today, industry accounts for less than 2 percent of Kaduna State GDP. The industrial sector contribution to Kaduna GDP is lower than is expected given that Kaduna was the capital of Northern Nigeria and thus had a head start on other states in the northern part of the country. The paper outlines some measures that should be taken to improve the Kaduna manufacturing industries to contribute more to the state's economic development. Against this background, the paper attempted to proffer a way forward and suggestions for arresting and reversing industrial decline and collapse in Kaduna State and Nigeria in general. The paper finally emphasized the importance of energy for industrial development and the need to address it squarely, especially in the area of energy generation, transmission, and distribution.