The Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago said that the state government would provide the needed support to its partners in actualising the establishment of Special Agro-Processing Zones (SAPZ) in the state.
The governor stated this when he met with a delegation from the China Overseas Engineering Group Company Limited (COVEC) at the Government House in Minna on Tuesday.
Bago said that the state government was targeting an ambitious plan to generate $1.5 billion in exports through the zones.
This, he said goes beyond the state’s earlier target to generate $150 million from the SAPZs.
“In our initial evaluation, we thought we’d do $150 million in export but now just one of your partners is saying he can double it. It means we can go up to $1.5 billion.”
On his part, the General manager of COVEC, Ma Zhengjiun noted that the firm was poised to ensure that the state SAPZ becomes a critical food supply source in Nigeria.
Zhengjiun emphasized the firm’s goal of driving the export of value-added products beyond the initial $150 million target.
The Chairman of the Niger State Special Agro-Processing Zone (SAPZ), Yomi Akapo said that the African Development Bank (AfDB) has ranked Niger State among the states most ready for the next phase of funding.
He commended the Niger State governor for his commitment and support to the agency in facilitating the implementation of the project.
He said that the MoU signed by COVEC in June 2024, the state had already signed an agreement in China with the firm for infrastructure development and mining.
In September 2024, the Niger State Government announced that it has secured a $684 million investment into the Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) by China Overseas Engineering Group Company Limited (COVEC) and China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) both based in Beijing, China.
This funding, the government said, intends to strengthen agricultural productivity in the state while also positioning the state as a leader in agro-processing efforts by state governments in Nigeria.
