Kogi State has moved forward with plans to expand agricultural production and processing through new international partnerships to accelerate the implementation of its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone programme.
The SAPZ initiative is designed to strengthen food production, improve agro-processing capacity, create jobs, attract private investment, and position Kogi as a major agricultural and industrial hub in Nigeria.
A major part of the plan is the development of a modern agricultural science and technology industrial park in Kogi State.
The facility is expected to support agro-processing, improve agricultural technology transfer, expand equipment deployment, promote enterprise incubation, strengthen logistics and cold chain systems, improve export infrastructure, and provide sustainable power supply for agribusiness operations.
The state’s SAPZ framework includes the Ajaokuta Agro-Industrial Hub, Agricultural Transformation Centres in Anyigba, Alape, and Osara, as well as the Zariagi Agro-Air Hub.
The programme will also connect existing farmer clusters with an additional 150,000 hectares of farmland in each zone to support large-scale agricultural production.
Priority agricultural value chains under the project include rice, maize, cassava, livestock and poultry, sesame, cashew, oil palm, and greenhouse farming.
The programme also includes support infrastructure such as warehouses, cold chain logistics, power systems, compressed natural gas solutions, farm equipment deployment, agricultural technology support, and export infrastructure.
As part of efforts to move the project into implementation, Kogi State signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Hezheng Holdings Group and Hezheng Digital Technology (Hezheng Innovation Valley) Co., Ltd..
The agreement signals a shift from planning to execution as the state works to attract technical partners, investors, industrial park operators, and global agribusiness platforms into the project.
The Kogi delegation was led by Yakubu Okala, who represented Governor of Kogi State, alongside Commissioner for Agriculture Ojomah Timothy and other government officials involved in the project.
During the visit, the delegation toured several Hezheng facilities, including its investment promotion centre, agricultural industry exhibition hall, global launch hall, and incubation facilities to study the company’s industrial park management system and agricultural technology operations.
Discussions between both parties focused on practical implementation areas such as industrial park development, technology transfer, processing infrastructure, enterprise incubation, equipment deployment, and investment mobilisation.
Both sides also explored long-term plans for building a structured China-Kogi industrial partnership that will support the development of the state’s agricultural economy.
In the coming months, technical and commercial activities are expected to move forward as both parties prepare for full project mobilisation, including groundwork activities and the establishment of coordination offices in China, Kogi State, and Abuja.
The Kogi State Government said the project is part of broader efforts to build an investment-ready agricultural system that can improve food security, strengthen value addition, expand export opportunities, and create more economic opportunities for farmers and agribusiness operators across the state.
