By Kemi Akinseye
Kogi State’s push to reposition itself as a major agro-industrial hub is gathering momentum, as the government intensifies international partnerships and technical collaborations aimed at translating its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme from blueprint to full implementation. The initiative, which targets value addition, food security, job creation, and industrial growth, is now moving into an execution phase anchored on global investment and infrastructure development.
Kogi State Government has stepped up efforts to accelerate the implementation of its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme through strengthened international partnerships designed to reposition the state as a leading agricultural and industrial powerhouse in Nigeria.
The SAPZ initiative, conceived as a strategic agro-industrial platform, is aimed at boosting food production, expanding agro-processing capacity, attracting private sector investment, and generating large-scale employment opportunities across the state. It is also expected to strengthen value chains and improve export competitiveness in key agricultural commodities.
According to the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Femi Fanwo, the recent engagements mark a critical phase in the programme’s evolution, particularly with the planned development of a modern agricultural science and technology industrial park in Kogi State.
He explained that the project aligns with the broader SAPZ framework and is designed to drive agro-processing, facilitate agricultural technology transfer, support equipment deployment, promote enterprise incubation, and enhance logistics and cold chain systems. It will also strengthen export infrastructure while ensuring sustainable power solutions for agro-industrial operations.
Fanwo noted that the Kogi SAPZ structure includes the Ajaokuta Agro-Industrial Hub, Agricultural Transformation Centres in Anyigba, Alape, and Osara, as well as the Zariagi Agro-Air Hub. He added that the programme integrates existing farmer clusters with an additional 150,000 hectares of farmland per zone, opening opportunities for large-scale, tenant-driven agricultural production.
Priority value chains under the initiative include rice, maize, cassava, livestock and poultry, sesame, cashew, oil palm, and greenhouse farming. Supporting infrastructure such as warehousing, cold chain logistics, agricultural technology systems, power supply solutions, and agro-export facilities are also embedded within the framework.
As part of the implementation drive, Kogi State has entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Hezheng Holdings Group and Hezheng Digital Technology (Hezheng Innovation Valley) Co., Ltd. The agreement is expected to facilitate the transition from planning to execution, while attracting credible technical partners, industrial park operators, and global investors into the SAPZ ecosystem.
The state delegation, led by Alhaji Yakubu Okala, FCA, Auditor General of Kogi State and Project Investment Adviser, also included the Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Ojomah Timothy; Technical Adviser to the Governor’s Office, Dr. Abdullahi Ozomata; Chief Economic Adviser, Alhaji Aliyu Inda Salami; and the Project Consultant/Managing Director of Pulse Engineering and Consulting Limited, Mr. David Lekan Obatolu.
During the engagement, the delegation toured key facilities of Hezheng Holdings, including its investment promotion centre, agricultural industry exhibition hall, global launch hall, and live-streaming incubation base. The visit provided insights into the company’s industrial park management model, enterprise support systems, agricultural technology integration, and cross-border market development strategies.
Discussions between both parties focused on key implementation areas such as industrial park development, technology transfer, processing infrastructure, enterprise incubation, investment mobilisation, and equipment deployment. Both sides also explored frameworks for establishing a structured and sustainable China–Kogi industrial cooperation platform.
According to officials, the next phase will involve technical and commercial workstreams leading to full project mobilisation, including preparatory steps for groundbreaking ceremonies and the establishment of coordination offices in China, Kogi State, and Abuja.
The state government described the engagement as a clear demonstration of its commitment to moving the SAPZ programme from policy design to practical execution, while positioning Kogi as a competitive destination for agro-industrial investment and innovation.
