In a significant move to bolster Nigeria's economy, the Dangote Group has announced a major collaboration with strategic partners to revitalise and strengthen the nation's agricultural sector. This commitment was highlighted as the company sponsors the 17th National Agricultural Show, which opened today in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Strategic Partnerships for Economic Growth
The group's spokesman, Anthony Chiejina, emphasised that expanding mechanised agricultural practices is critical for boosting Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He stated that this initiative is also designed to create meaningful employment opportunities for the country's growing youth population. "Through this partnership, the company aims to encourage greater participation in commercial agriculture and reinforce its role in advancing Nigeria’s economic growth," Chiejina said.
He endorsed the theme for this year's event, "Employing Smallholder Farmers: Restoring Value, Ensuring Productivity, will Ensure Attainment of Food Security in Nigeria", describing it as highly appropriate. Chiejina elaborated that restoring the value of agriculture offers more than nostalgic appeal; it provides a pragmatic route to economic renewal. He affirmed that with the right incentives and modern practices, agriculture can once again serve as a reliable engine of growth, anchoring jobs, stabilising markets, and giving the economy a sturdier foundation.
Substantial Investments in Food Production
The company is currently undertaking substantial backwards integration projects. It is developing rice mills in Kano, Jigawa, Niger, Kebbi, and Sokoto states, which will have a combined total milling capacity of 1.5 million tonnes yearly. This effort is directly intended to support the government's broader push for national food security.
Further reinforcing this commitment, Mrs Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman, Senior Adviser to the President of the Dangote Group, confirmed that the company is investing heavily in its backwards integration projects within the sugar sub-sector, specifically in Nasarawa and Adamawa states. This is in line with the company's dedication to restoring value to agro-allied industrialisation across Nigeria.
Recognition and Future Focus
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria, Kabiru Adamu, who also serves as President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), acknowledged the pivotal role of the Dangote Group. "Dangote Group has been our greatest ally from inception and we have enjoyed tremendous and invaluable support from them such that without them we will not be able to continue to hold the show efficiently," Adamu noted.
He also urged the conglomerate to focus its expertise on agriculture, following its remarkable success in the oil and gas sector. The annual agricultural show remains a key platform for showcasing innovation across the entire agricultural value chain in Nigeria.
