Kano is regarded the industrial hub of Northern Nigeria, as well as the second largest city in the sub-economic region’s powerhouse. Since the 19th century, during the reigns of Emirs Ibrahim Dado and Sulaimanu, it has been a prominent trading center.
According to Nigeria Galleria, the region now has 400 small and medium-sized businesses that deal in things such as tanned leather, dairy products, pharmaceutical products, textile materials, and agricultural tools.
Emirs and governments have given favorable economic conditions for enterprises to grow and expand since the pre-colonial period. For example, the Kano government designated industrial zones such as Challawa, Sharada, and Tokarawa for enterprises to operate and manufacture things to meet the requirements of the people.
Emir Muhammad Rumfa established the Kurmi market in the 16th century to foster the growth of local enterprises and trade. Successive leaders enhanced the corporate architecture, transforming Kano into the major business hub it is today.
When the Maradi raid disrupted business in Katsina in the nineteenth century, Emirs Ibrahim Dado and Sulaimanu urged local traders to go to Kano to continue their trade, boosting the state’s economic importance within the Sokoto Caliphate.
During this time, the kolanut trade flourished, allowing Kano merchants to make up to $30 million each year. The merchants’ resourcefulness in incorporating craft into their local business further helped commerce throughout the pre-colonial era.
Local firms produced an estimated 10 million pairs of sandals during this period in Kano’s history. The Bompai Industrial Estate thrived between 1953 and 1963, during the rule of Emir Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi.
Kano state, with a population of over 10 million people, is recognized as the most prominent business center in Northern Nigeria. The state continues to provide incentives to persons in order to encourage the growth of semi-processed and manufactured goods. This has aided the development of new commercial districts such as Kurmi, Kwari, Kwanar Singer, Muhammadu Abubakan Rami, and Dawanau markets, which make a variety of commodities for a variety of consumers.
Infrastructures such as the Malam Aminu International Airport road, railway lines for hard-to-reach locations in Kano, and good road networks have helped the business community significantly. It is not unexpected that Kano State has a thriving financial sector comprised of brokerage firms, banks, and insurance companies that give financial assistance to small-scale businesses throughout Northern Nigeria.
There is little doubt that the federal government’s emphasis on agriculture has contributed significantly to the country’s economic success. A substantial fraction of the population is involved in agriculture-related companies.
Kano farmers primarily cultivate maize, millet, rice, cowpea, and sorghum. Farmers cultivate cotton and groundnuts on a huge scale for the industrial sector, feeding factories and exporting. Kano is also a major exporter of skins and hides in Nigeria. According to agricultural data, many Kano households earn a living by farming groundnuts.