Kaduna State is to host the pilot phase of the Nigeria-China Poultry Project, a transformative agricultural investment expected to generate over $450 million in revenue and create more than 350,000 jobs.
Governor Uba Sani disclosed this when he received the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, and the leadership of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP).
Besides, the high-level engagement focused on deepening bilateral collaboration in agriculture and investment between Kaduna and the People’s Republic of China.
Speaking at the meeting, the governor described the visit as “not merely another diplomatic courtesy, but a defining stride” in the state’s mission to attract transformative partnerships that would reinforce its position as a continental hub for agricultural and industrial excellence.
He expressed profound appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for selecting Kaduna as the pilot state for the project, describing the choice as a testament to Kaduna’s leadership in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
“With agriculture contributing 43 per cent to our GDP and employing more than 60 per cent of our citizens, this partnership will accelerate our pursuit of higher productivity, sustainable growth, food security, and broad-based prosperity,” Sani said.
Director-General of the NCSP, Joseph Tegbe, also praised the state’s commitment, as reflected in the swift approval and allocation of over 7,000 hectares of land for the project’s immediate take-off.
Under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund, the Nigeria-China Poultry Project would be executed through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in partnership with the Chinese government and the Kaduna State government. The construction of the project is scheduled to commence in December this year.
ALSO, Governor Sani has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to partnerships that deliver inclusive economic growth, enhance food security, and position Kaduna as the agricultural heart of Nigeria.
Impressed by the agricultural revolution in the state, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Abubakar Kyari stated that Governor Uba Sani had transformed the agro-industrial landscape of Kaduna within two and a half years.
He spoke when he led a delegation of Commissioners of Agriculture from the 36 states of the federation on a courtesy call to Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, pointing out that the governor had become a point of reference in the agriculture and agro-industrial sector in Nigeria.
The minister recalled that Kaduna used to be a textile hub, which was an agro-based industry because its raw material was from cotton, but “today we are seeing a very different value addition to some of our staple crops.”
According to him, what Governor Sani is doing for agriculture in Kaduna State aligns with what President Tinubu “has been talking about on food security and food sovereignty.”
In his remarks, Minister of State for Agriculture Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi commended the governor for exceeding the Malabo Declaration’s 10 per cent budgetary allocation to agriculture.
Governor Sani thanked the ministers for choosing Kaduna as host of the National Council of Agriculture and Food Security, describing it as a great honour.
