Six Govs Pledge to Replicate Benin Republic’s State-level Agro-Industrial Zones in Their States

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Six state governors have pledged to draw practical lessons from the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) in the Republic of Benin as Nigeria intensifies efforts to establish agro-industrial processing hubs, revive domestic manufacturing and create large-scale employment for young people.

The governors spoke at the weekend after joining Vice President Kashim Shettima on an inspection of the integrated industrial zone near Cotonou, where cotton, cashew nuts, soybeans and other agricultural commodities are processed into finished and semi-finished products.

The delegation comprised Governors Hope Uzodimma of Imo State; Dauda Lawal, Zamfara State; Caleb Mutfwang, Plateau State; AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Kwara State; Dikko Umar Radda, Katsina State; and Umar Namadi, Jigawa State.

Governor AbdulRazaq described the visit as an African peer-learning mission intended to help Nigerian states avoid costly mistakes and adopt tested industrial practices.

“Nigeria is on the verge of developing industrial processing zones across the federation. We previously visited Ethiopia to study what they had done, and we are now in the Benin Republic to learn from both the challenges and the successes of this industrial zone.

“We have examined the cotton, cashew and soybean value chains. What we have seen has been a tremendous success, and we will take these lessons back to Nigeria as we implement our own projects”, AbdulRasaq stated.

He said participating states were working with the federal government and development partners, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), Islamic Development Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development, to provide the infrastructure required for the zones. Nigeria’s first SAPZ phase covers seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Also speaking, Jigawa State Governor, Namadi, said the industrial zone had provided useful lessons for his state’s efforts to add value to agricultural production under Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Programme.

“With the adoption of this concept and the implementation of the SAPZ programme in Nigeria, Jigawa will be able to add value to its agricultural products and create more opportunities for its people,” he said.

On his part, Zamfara State Governor, Lawal, said the visit revived memories of the once-thriving textile industry in his state, where factories, cotton ginneries and oil mills previously employed thousands of people.

He said: “This takes me down memory lane because I grew up around this industry. My father was one of the owners of the Zamfara Textile Industry.

“At one point, the factory operated three shifts, with about 2,000 workers on each shift. Zamfara State also had about 23 ginneries and an oil mill, where even cotton seeds were converted into oil,” he added.

Also, Governor Uzodimma of Imo State said African countries must deepen peer learning and develop industries around their respective comparative advantages to create employment and shared prosperity.

He commended President Bola Tinubu for directing Vice President Shettima to lead the delegation, describing the visit as a practical step towards implementing the administration’s industrialisation agenda.

On his part, Katsina State Governor, Radda, said the production systems at GDIZ could be reproduced in Nigerian states with strong agricultural value chains.

“What we have seen today is achievable in our states. Katsina is one of Nigeria’s major cotton-producing states, and we are also doing well in soybean production,” Radda said.

For Plateau State Governor, Mutfwang, GDIZ is a successful proof of concept, saying its transformation from an idea into a functioning industrial ecosystem demonstrated the importance of political commitment, careful planning and competent management.

“We came with the vice president to see a practical demonstration of what we have been discussing. This aligns with the president’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy. That ambition must be driven by production, processing and a firm belief that Nigeria has the capacity to achieve it,” the governor said.