New Year message from Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State

'We must uphold hope and a common humanity'

I felicitate with the people of Kaduna State as we welcome a new year. We invoke the blessings of the Almighty on all our people, that harmony will prevail in our land and that the apostles of violence and division will be shamed. We have high hopes for 2017; that it will be a year of peace and growth for our state, and our country, Nigeria.

Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State

For us in Kaduna State, 2016 was a year of attainments and challenges. We made tangible progress in implementing our governance agenda. Much has been done, but much more remains to accomplish. Through it all, we have confronted our difficulties with the same decisiveness that has produced results across sectors. We have imposed discipline on the finances of our state, increased IGR and ensured that we pass our budget well before a new calendar year.

We demonstrated our credentials as a state that is open for business. The quality of attendance and participation at the Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit (KADInvest), held in April 2016, testified that the private sector recognises our commitment to promoting investments and job-creation. The Olam and Vicampro investments in the agricultural sector are some of the concrete outcomes of this investment drive.