Emmanuel lkpeama.
The Kogi State Government has strengthened its international partnership drive as part of efforts to accelerate the implementation of its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, the government said the SAPZ initiative is a strategic platform aimed at boosting food production, expanding processing capacity, creating jobs, attracting private investment, and positioning Kogi as a leading agricultural and industrial hub in Nigeria.
A major focus of the engagement is the planned development of a modern agricultural science and technology industrial park in Kogi State.
The project, which aligns with the SAPZ framework, is expected to promote agro-processing, facilitate technology transfer, support equipment deployment, encourage enterprise incubation, improve logistics and cold chain systems, enhance export infrastructure, and provide sustainable power solutions.
The Kogi SAPZ framework includes the Ajaokuta Agro-Industrial Hub, Agricultural Transformation Centres in Anyigba, Alape, and Osara, as well as the Zariagi Agro-Air Hub.
According to the statement, the programme is designed to connect existing farmer clusters with an additional 150,000 hectares of farmland in each zone, creating opportunities for large-scale agricultural production driven by tenants and investors.
Priority value chains under the programme include rice, maize, cassava, livestock and poultry, sesame, cashew, oil palm, and greenhouse farming.
It also features support systems such as warehousing, cold chain logistics, power solutions, compressed natural gas (CNG), agricultural technology, equipment deployment, and agro-export infrastructure.
As part of the initiative, Kogi State signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Hezheng Holdings Group and Hezheng Digital Technology (Hezheng Innovation Valley) Co., Ltd.
The agreement signals a shift from planning to implementation and reflects the state’s commitment to attracting credible technical partners, investors, industrial park operators, and global business platforms into the SAPZ ecosystem.
The Kogi delegation was led by Alhaji Yakubu Okala, FCA, Auditor General of Kogi State and Project Investment Adviser, who represented Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
Other members of the delegation included the Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Ojomah Timothy; Technical Adviser to the Governor’s Office, Dr. Abdullahi Ozomata; Chief Economic Adviser to the State, Alhaji Aliyu Inda Salami; and Project Consultant/Managing Director of Pulse Engineering and Consulting Limited, Mr. David Lekan Obatolu.
During the visit, the delegation toured several Hezheng facilities, including its investment promotion centre, agricultural industry exhibition hall, global launch hall, and live-streaming incubation base.
The statement noted that discussions focused on industrial park development, processing infrastructure, enterprise incubation, technology transfer, park management systems, investment mobilisation, and equipment deployment.
Both sides also explored frameworks for a sustainable China-Kogi industrial cooperation platform.
The government said technical and commercial workstreams would now move toward full project mobilisation, including groundwork preparations and the establishment of coordination offices in China, Kogi State, and Abuja.
Kogi State reiterated its commitment to building an investment-ready agro-industrial ecosystem that will enhance food security, promote value addition, create jobs, strengthen farmer-market linkages, support exports, and unlock fresh economic opportunities for residents.