Kano Digital Market Targets ₦50bn Revenue, 100,000 Jobs

Kano State is betting big on commerce and digital trade with the newly commissioned Hajaj-ZOEC Digital Market. The project is expected to generate about ₦50 billion in revenue and create more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs once fully operational, according to the developers.

The market is designed to deepen commerce in electronics, ICT and related technology products. That focus is important because it positions Kano not just as a traditional trading centre, but as a modern hub for digital commerce with regional reach across West Africa.

During construction, the project already had a visible economic impact. The developer said more than 1,000 workers were employed daily on the site, while suppliers and other participants in the project value chain meant more than 8,000 people had already benefited before the market even opened.

The bigger promise, however, is what happens after launch. Once fully operational, the market is expected to stimulate a wide range of activities, from retail and logistics to technical services, repairs, storage and supply chains. That kind of ecosystem can create jobs far beyond the traders who occupy the stalls.

The project is also aimed at reducing the need for Nigerian traders to travel abroad to source electrical and electronic products. By keeping more of that trade at home, the market could help conserve foreign exchange, strengthen local distribution networks and make products more accessible to buyers in northern Nigeria and beyond.

The economic logic is straightforward: when a market is large, organised and specialised, it attracts more buyers, more sellers and more investment. That can turn the location into a magnet for commercial activity, especially in a city like Kano that already has a long history as one of Nigeria’s major trading centres.

The developers and partners behind the project say it is a landmark investment that should promote commerce, attract new capital and reinforce Kano’s position in the national economy. The involvement of private and public actors also suggests confidence that the market can support both direct business activity and wider urban growth.

The scale of the job projection is particularly notable. If realised, 100,000 direct and indirect jobs would make the market one of the more significant employment-generating commercial projects in the country. That could matter in a state where youth unemployment and underemployment remain major concerns.

The project also fits into a wider Kano push to modernise its economy through digital transformation and technology-linked investments. Across recent initiatives, the state has been trying to build infrastructure, skills and commercial systems that support innovation, enterprise and job creation.

For traders, the practical benefit is a more organised marketplace with stronger foot traffic and potentially better access to suppliers and customers. For the state, the reward could be higher internally generated revenue, a stronger commercial identity and more employment opportunities. If the projections hold, the Hajaj-ZOEC Digital Market may become one of Kano’s most consequential recent investments.