Lawal Eyes Benin’s Industrial Success as Template for Zamfara’s Agricultural Revolution

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has said the successful industrial transformation witnessed at the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) in the Republic of Benin provides a valuable model that could accelerate agricultural industrialisation and economic growth in Zamfara State.

Lawal made the observation on Friday while accompanying Vice President Kashim Shettima and five other state governors on a high-level study visit to the 1,640-hectare industrial hub, which has become a reference point for agro-processing and manufacturing in West Africa.

During the tour, the Nigerian delegation inspected the integrated textile and agro-processing facilities where raw cotton is transformed into yarn, fabrics and finished garments, while agricultural produce such as cashew and soybean is processed for both local consumption and export. The industrial park, established through a partnership between the Government of Benin and ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms, has generated more than 25,000 jobs since commencing operations in 2021.

For Governor Lawal, whose administration is pursuing an ambitious agricultural development agenda, the visit offered practical insights into how value addition, industrial infrastructure and strategic investments can unlock the economic potential of Zamfara’s vast agricultural resources.

Speaking previously at the Africa Investment Forum in Morocco last November, where Zamfara State signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) under the INTEGRANIUM Initiative, the governor had emphasised the state’s enormous agricultural capacity.

“Zamfara holds a strong comparative advantage in agriculture. We grow all crops in the state, we are not limited to soybeans. We have the land and it is fertile,” Governor Lawal had told global investors at the Africa Investment Forum in Morocco last November, where he signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) to drive large-scale agricultural transformation under the INTEGRANIUM Initiative.

The visit to GDIZ forms part of efforts to deepen the implementation of Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Programme by studying Benin Republic’s approach to agricultural value addition, industrial development, export-driven production and investment attraction.

The delegation paid particular attention to the industrial zone’s fully integrated textile value chain, where cotton is processed from spinning and weaving through fabric finishing to garment production. The model is considered a potential catalyst for revitalising Nigeria’s textile industry.

Governor Lawal believes Zamfara is well positioned to play a leading role in that revival by expanding cotton cultivation, attracting processing investments and rebuilding dormant textile manufacturing value chains. Such investments, he noted, could unlock opportunities within the estimated US$370 billion global cotton industry, create millions of jobs, strengthen non-oil exports and stimulate broader economic development.

His participation in the visit also reflects the priorities outlined in Zamfara State’s recently unveiled 10-Year Development Plan (2025–2034), which seeks to position the state as “a benchmark for transformative economic growth, not merely for Nigeria, but the continent of Africa.”

The long-term strategy places agriculture and natural resource development at the centre of Zamfara’s economic transformation, with emphasis on mechanised farming, agro-processing, value-chain expansion, strategic partnerships and job creation aimed at enhancing food security while tackling poverty-induced insecurity.

Other governors on the delegation included Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, Dikko Radda of Katsina State and Umar Namadi of Jigawa State.

Findings from the study visit are expected to contribute to the establishment of garment-training centres and specialised agro-processing facilities located close to farming communities across Nigeria, in line with the Federal Government’s industrialisation objectives.