The Kogi Government has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China’s Hezheng Holdings Group to build a modern agricultural science and technology industrial park.

The state’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Lokoja, described it as a major step to fast-track its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme.

He noted that the deal transitioned the SAPZ from planning to implementation and aimed to position Kogi as a leading agro-industrial hub in Nigeria.

“The SAPZ initiative is designed to boost food production, enhance processing capacity, create employment, attract private investment, and position Kogi as a leading agricultural and industrial hub,” Mr Fanwo said.

According to him, central to the partnership is a modern agro-tech industrial park that will drive agro-processing, technology transfer, equipment deployment, enterprise incubation, logistics, cold chain systems, export infrastructure, and sustainable power solutions.

He explained that the Kogi SAPZ structure included the Ajaokuta Agro-Industrial Hub, Agricultural Transformation Centres in Anyigba, Alape, and Osara, and the Zariagi Agro-Air Hub.

He added that the programme would integrate existing farmer clusters with an additional 150,000 hectares of farmland per zone for large-scale, tenant-driven production.

“Priority value chains are rice, maize, cassava, livestock and poultry, sesame, cashew, oil palm, and greenhouse farming.

“Support systems will cover warehousing, cold chain logistics, power, compressed natural gas (CNG), agric technology, equipment, and export infrastructure.”

Mr Fanwo said the move reflected Kogi’s strategy to attract “credible technical partners, industrial park operators, investors, and global business platforms” into the SAPZ ecosystem.

“In China, the team toured Hezheng facilities, including its investment promotion centre, agric industry exhibition hall, global launch hall, and live-streaming incubation base.

“Talks focused on industrial park development, technology transfer, processing infrastructure, enterprise incubation, park management, investment mobilisation, and equipment deployment.

“Both sides expressed strong alignment on the project vision and implementation roadmap,” Mr Fanwo said.

He added that in the coming months, technical and commercial workstreams would advance toward full mobilisation, including groundbreaking and setting up coordination offices in China, Kogi, and Abuja.

“This engagement underscores the commitment of the Kogi State Government to transitioning the SAPZ programme from planning to execution, while positioning the state as a competitive destination for agro-industrial investment,” Mr Fanwo said.

He added that Kogi remained resolute in building “a bankable and investment-ready agro-industrial ecosystem” to enhance food security, promote value addition, create jobs, strengthen farmer-market linkages, support export growth, and unlock new economic opportunities.

He stated that the state delegation was led by the Auditor General and project investment adviser, Yakubu Okala, representing Governor Ahmed Ododo.

Others were Agriculture Commissioner, Ojomah Timothy; Technical Adviser, Abdullahi Ozomata; Chief Economic Adviser, Aliyu Salami and project consultant, David Obatolu.

(NAN)