THE KANO STATE ICT POLICY
The vision of the State ICT policy is to transform the state into a leading ICT player in the country. To be a leading ICT player means that the state should not only be a major user of ICTs but also a leader, if not the leader in the production of ICTs in the country. This should allow the state to use ICTs to promote good governance, advance knowledge and create wealth and jobs. Both wealth and job creation require that the state adopt ICT as an economic sector, capable of attracting investment that can generate both employment and revenues for the state.

The general objectives of the policy include:

The policy has ten substantive chapters, each dealing with one development sector. The chapters give the sector goals, objectives and the corresponding strategies to achieve the objectives. There is also a chapter on policy implementation, which provides a timeline and milestones and policy targets.

The policy envisages the creation of the Kano State Information and Communication Technology Development Agency (KICTDA) located in the Ministry of Planning and Budget, to be the main vehicle for the implementation of the policy. Its functions include:

In addition to KICTDA, an ICT Academy, the Kano State Institute of Information and Communications Technology (KIICT) is to be established to offer specialized training and research work with view to generating skilled professionals to service the needs of both public and private sectors. Its specific functions include:

Critical to the policy is the establishment of the state information infrastructure (SII) in the form of an Internet backbone needed to support ICT production capacity as well as for government and citizens’ uses. It is envisaged to design and implement the SII to achieve a minimum capacity of 8 mbps, using a combination of fiber optic, cables, satellite and wireless technology. This is to be done in partnership with the private sector.

The chapter on Public/Private Sector partnership of the Policy defines the partnership framework. The Policy proposes that government shall provide an enabling environment for investment in collaboration with the private sector. Three of the key strategies of the Policy with respect to public/private sector partnership are:

These strategies embody the regime of incentives that are to be developed to encourage the setting up of local ICT businesses as well as attract foreign companies to the state.

THE STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTING THE POLICY
This proposal seeks to implement the State ICT Policy through the instrumentality of an ICT park, viewing ICT as an economic sector. The basic requirements therefore are:

This section addresses these issues. It also addresses the institutional framework under which the park is to function.

The Objectives of the Kano ICT Park
The park is to achieve the following objectives:

The Kano ICT Park will bring the following ICT businesses to the state:

PROJECTING THE BENEFITS OF THE ICT PARK
Under this section, a projection of the various types of benefits that would come to the state on account of the ICT Park is undertaken.

Globally there is shortage of ICT personnel. This is worse in developing countries like Nigeria. The production ICT personnel is thus a major priority for most countries. Export of such manpower has also become a source of revenue for many countries. Because of the excellent ICT and other infrastructure in ICT parks, they are used to produce ICT personnel to meet both national and international needs. Thus a number of the organizations in ICT parks provide high-level training in ICT. In the Malaysian MSC, 39 out of the 1137 companies are institutions of higher learning, providing ICT training. The Kano ICT Park will not be an exception.  The projected total number of ICT professionals yearly is 9,500 as shown in table 1. At a constant yearly rate by the end of 10 years, 95,000 ICT professionals will be trained.

Some of these would be retained by various employers in the parks. Many will be available to meet the demands of ICT personnel by Kano State while some may decide to go to other parts of the country, or even outside the country to work.

For many countries, one of the key objectives of IT parks is to create jobs. For the year 2005 alone, the MSC in Malaysia targets to generate 60,000 jobs. The Kano ICT Park is projected to house at least 250 companies. It is anticipated that during the first year occupancy will be about 30%. Although companies will be of varying sizes and of different workforce requirements, it is assume that the park will have an overall average of 45 workers per company. At this rate, the park will generate about 3,375 during the first year. This would grow by about 10% yearly. Table 2 shows the projected jobs to be created by cadre.

It is expected that about 70% will be indigenes of the state. In addition to the above direct jobs created in the park, there would be many more created both outside and at the interface between the park and the larger community. This will be in the order of 1:3. That means that at least 13,500 jobs will be created during the first year.

As an economic sector, ICT is expected to generate revenue to the State. There are at least four sources of revenue accruable to the State from the direct business activities of companies in the ICT Park. These are company income tax, personnel income tax, income from the use of State investment in infrastructure and value-added tax (VAT).

Globally IT parks have been used to attract foreign investment. The conducive environment and enabling fiscal policies will make companies to come and invest by setting production and service provision facilities at the park. This foreign investment will boost the economy of the State.

The State Government is highly committed to the development of education, agriculture and water supply. It is also committed to re-engineering social values as well as in promoting good governance. It has recognized that ICT can be used in these and many other development programmes in the State. However, in order to do this, the State needs to develop a critical mass of IT literate citizens as well as enhance the general level of accessibility of ICT in the State. While the production activities at the park will generally make ICT products and services more available and accessible in the State, the training aspects in the parks will generate a mass of ICT manpower. The State will be able to utilize this manpower in both manning critical sectors and in mounting aggressive IT literacy acquisition schemes.

One of the major activities to be enabled by the park is content creation and development. At the moment, there is dearth of local content in the internet. Apart from its intrinsic value in terms of development efforts, local content will allow people to express themselves more authentically to other people. It allows them to project and promote their cultural and religious values to a wider audience. Even more critically, such content will assist greatly in terms of the current government effort at social re-engineering.

The ICT Park project will impact positively in reducing social vices in two major ways. The first is that by creating training and job opportunities, youth unemployment can be reduced. This will reduce the prevalence of youth idleness which makes them susceptible to vices and violent engagements. The second is that ICT provides effective mechanism for public enlightenment programmes.

With increasing penetration of ICT in the world, business transaction is migrating online. E-Commerce will be the major way of conducting businesses in the next few years. As centre of commerce, Kano needs to re-position itself also as a centre of e-Commerce in the country. The ICT infrastructure at the park will not only facilitate e-commerce in the State but also provide the framework for the development of various e-commerce solutions locally.

The IT parks have proven to be effective mechanisms for technology transfer. Technology at work at the park easily finds itself outside the park into the wider society. Because IT parks are also set up to be at the cutting edge of the ICT sector, research and development in the sector is a critical engagement of the park. Such opportunities will help to position of Kano State to become a centre of technology development and innovation in the country.

The proposed site for the Kano ICT Park, the Gidan Ado Bayero is a large office complex. Getting business organizations to occupy it wholly will not be easy. Moreover, the management of such multitude of tenants is not easy. When converted to the Park, this would ensure maximum utilization of the building. Since companies to operate at the park will be registered by KICTDA, it will as well collect the rent at the point of registration. This will free KSIP from the rent administration and management of the building. The use of the building for the ICT Park will make the investment recovery from the building much faster.

SELLING POINTS FOR KANO
The following are some of the unique selling points of Kano as a prospective host of ICT parks investors