Emir Sanusi tasks state govts. on revenue generation

The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sunusi II, has advised state governments to explore new ways of generating revenue to make them less dependent on the Federal Government.

Sunusi gave the advice when he received a team of economic experts from Lagos who paid him a courtesy visit at his Palace in Kano on Thursday.

It was reported that the team was in the state to discuss with its Kano counterparts on economic relationship and partnership, preparatory to a Joint Economic and Investment Summit.

The monarch said that evolving new areas of revenue generation by the states was necessary as the era of economic and financial dependence on Federal Government by states was over.

“The dependency on economic development of states on Federal government in this era of economic recession is no longer tenable.

“So states must develop their economic blueprint so as to enable them be economically buoyant and Independent, “ he said.

He noted that Lagos state was able to develop its economic programmes, pointing out that the state was one of the best in wastes management system and infrastructure development in the country.

According to him, the collaboration between the two states will be of great economic benefit to the two states.

“Lagos is today a city state that has become one of the fastest economic growing states in the sub-Saharan Africa and collaborating with it would be a greatly beneficial to all.

He expressed the hope that the meeting between the two states would enable them to produce a joint Blueprint that would enhance economic growth and development in Kano, Lagos and in the country at large.

Earlier, the leader of the Lagos economic team and Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Akinyemi Ashade, said the committee was in the state to explore areas of improving the economy for greater development.

He said the final meeting on economic partnership would produce a memorandum of understanding that would be signed between the two states.

Also, the Permanent Chairman of the Kano Economic Team, Prof Shamsudeen Usman, and a former Minister of National Planning, said the two states would deliberate on various aspects of economic partnerships.

“At the end of the meeting, the teams will work on terms of the summit and sign an MoU on technical relationship between,” he said.