Borno Targets Regional Economic Hub Status, Woos Investors for Agric, Livestock Industries

The Borno State Government aims to elevate the region into a center for agricultural processing, livestock industries, and cross-border trade, according to Michael Olugbode in Abuja. Seeking private investment, the government announced its strategy to move beyond raw produce and livestock transportation to create processing industries, storage facilities, manufacturing businesses, and export-oriented ventures.

At a private sector roundtable in Abuja, government officials highlighted agriculture, livestock, renewable energy, housing, manufacturing, and logistics as key investment areas. Borno boasts agricultural resources, a large livestock population, and a strategic border location with Chad, Cameroon, and Niger, making it a prime candidate for economic transformation.

Over half of Borno's populace relies on agriculture, with rice, cowpeas, groundnuts, onions, and vegetables presenting lucrative investment prospects. However, the real opportunity lies in processing, packaging, certification, storage, transportation, and market access. For livestock, potential industries include animal feed production, veterinary services, dairy and meat processing, cold storage, leather and hide processing, insurance, and livestock transportation.

The state's location offers a chance to develop a regional logistics network for trade between Nigeria and neighboring countries. Renewable energy could also be a crucial part of the transformation, powering irrigation, processing, cold storage, and emerging industries. Mandara urged investors to go beyond expressions of interest, committing capital to viable projects to create jobs, boost incomes, and foster sustainable development.