Kano state government has expressed readiness to promote cooperation
with the Lebanese government in the sectors of commerce and other
areas of human and economic development.
The state governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso said this while receiving the
Consul, Lebanese Embassy in Nigeria, Mr. Khalil A. Muselman who
visited him at the Government House, Kano on Friday.
Governor Kwankwaso noted that that since the early 19th century,
Lebanese businessmen have been playing important roles in the economy
of the state and the nation as a whole, adding his administration will
welcome more of their contribution in moving the state to the next
level of development.
“Kano has huge human and material potentials for development and we
will welcome support from your government and any other friendly
countries toward improving the economy of our state and making life
better for our citizens”, the governor maintained.
On his part, the Charge de Affairs in the Lebanese Embassy in Nigeria,
Mr. Khalil A. Muselman said his was in the state to commiserate with
the people on the demise of the erstwhile Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado
Bayero and to congratulate the new Emir, Malam Muhammad Sunusi II.
The envoy also congratulated the people of Kano over what he described
as “the great achievements brought to the state by the administration
of Governor Kwankwaso” in the areas of education, rods and electricity
among others, which he noted, are important of the economic
development of the state and Nigeria as a whole.
The history of the Nigerian Lebanese communities in Nigeria dates back
to 1885 when Ilyas Khoury, immigrated to Nigeria on a business
adventure, while in 1912, Seman Naoum became the first Lebanese to
permanently settle in Kano city.
Since then, the population of the Lebanese community especially in
Kano had significantly increased with many of them graduating from
ordinary traders in agricultural products and European good to being
key players in the industrial sector, a move that significantly
transformed the economy of the ancient commercial city of Northern
Ever since Nigeria formally opened a diplomatic mission in Beirut in
1973, relations between both countries has witnessed great progress
especially where there are convergence of interests in terms of
eradication of colonialism, apartheid, support for the promotion of
new world economic order, peaceful settlement of the Arab – Israeli
crisis and more recently, reformation of the United Nations Security
