The Niger State Government has earmarked 20,000 hectares of land to upscale sugar production as part of efforts to strengthen agricultural productivity and ensure food security.
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago made this known when he received the Chairman of Flour Mills of Nigeria, Mr. John Coumantaros, alongside foreign investors from Brazil, the United States, and South Africa, who were in Minna to explore investment opportunities and partnerships in the state’s agricultural sector.
The delegation visited Tagwai Dam and the Tagwai Feedlots, where Governor Bago outlined his administration’s plans to expand sugar and crop production to support national food sufficiency.
He noted that the partnership with investors would transform the agricultural landscape of Niger State and Nigeria at large, emphasizing his government’s focus on understanding and strengthening agricultural value chains.
Governor Bago also disclosed plans to increase seed production, identifying the lack of quality seeds as one of the major challenges facing Nigerian farmers. He added that the collaboration with Brazilian investors would facilitate the development of improved animal pastures, enhance livestock genetics for quality milk production, and modernize abattoirs to transition from the processing of blood meat to frozen meat products.
Reiterating his administration’s commitment to working with development partners, the governor said Niger State intends to harness its vast natural resources — including water bodies and earth dams — to enable all-year-round agricultural production.
In his remarks, Mr. Coumantaros described Governor Bago as a visionary leader who is transforming Nigeria’s agro-industrial landscape. He said the partnership with Niger State would not only boost sugar and seed production but also improve farmers’ livelihoods and reshape the state’s agricultural ecosystem.
Other development partners expressed optimism about the collaboration and commended the governor’s agricultural revolution aimed at making Niger State a leading hub for agribusiness in Nigeria.
