Kogi State, China Agro-Industrial Deal

Nigeria — Kogi State has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Chinese firms Hezheng Holdings Group and Hezheng Digital Technology (Hezheng Innovation Valley) Co., Ltd. to accelerate its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) program. This partnership aims to develop a modern agricultural science and technology industrial park in Nigeria — Kogi State, focusing on boosting food production, enhancing processing capacity, creating employment, and attracting private sector investment. The SAPZ framework includes the Ajaokuta Agro-Industrial Hub and Agricultural Transformation Centres, integrating existing farmer clusters with an additional 150,000 hectares of farmland. Priority value chains include rice, maize, cassava, livestock, and oil palm. A delegation from Nigeria — Kogi State, led by Alhaji Yakubu Okala, toured Hezheng facilities in China, discussing industrial park development, technology transfer, and investment mobilization. Both parties expressed strong alignment, with plans for technical and commercial workstreams to advance towards full project mobilization, including groundbreaking and establishing coordination offices in China, Nigeria — Kogi State, and Abuja. This agreement marks a transition from conceptual planning to implementation, positioning Nigeria — Kogi State as a competitive destination for agro-industrial investment.