Firm partners Kano to establish first private sector-led agro-industrial park

Kano State government, in collaboration with Silvex International, is set to establish an Agro-Industrial Park in the state. The proposed agro-Industrial park is to be situated at Bunkure community within the Kano River Irrigation project area.

The partnership initiated when fully operational, will enhance commodity trading, stimulate agricultural value chain and food system efficiency.

Presenting the proposed investment plan to the state executive council yesterday, the firm’s Chief Executive Officer, Alhaji Abubakar Usman Adam, said the projection was to improve development of systematic agricultural value chain in various commodities in Nigeria and beyond.

Abubakar stressed that the Agro-Industrial Park project is designed to serve as a geographical cluster of independent firms grouped together to gain economy of scale by sharing infrastructure such as roads, energy, transportation, laboratory, communication and storage facilities, among others.

According to him, the Agro-Industrial Park is worth $162,000,000 and with express directives from Kano State governor, the first phase of the project estimated at $12, 000,000 would be completed within six months of the inception period.

Supported by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO/UKAid), under its Links Project, the Agro-Industrial project, Abubakar noted, will serve a one-stop shop for agribusiness and commodity trading through value addition and strategic reserve and storage facilities, where key players will have positive externalities.

“This will attract more investments and job creations, improve rural incomes and livelihoods, as well as increase internally generated revenue to government. On the other hand, farmers, aggregators, processors and distributors will de-risk their businesses and solve the challenge of supply defaults and business activities will have increased profits,” Abubakar noted.

He also confirmed that the Agro-Industrial Park, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria, will play a significant role in price stabilisation of essential commodities, market development and pxromote Agricultural mechanisation and technology transfer from foreign investors in the country with a robust research and development through scientific and modern equipment that will be deployed.

In a statement issued by Chief Press Secretary to Kano State governor, Mr. Abba Anwar, mentioned that Ganduje, while receiving the team, gave an express directive to Kano Investment Promotion Agency (KANIVEST) and all other relevant government agencies to hasten the process and outline what is expected of the government to incentives the investors and ensure immediate actualisation of the project.

Silvex International Limited is a wholly indigenous rapidly growing integrated agribusiness, mining and logistics company with diverse interest in commodity production, aggregation, processing, packaging and trading working across 26 states and seven African countries.