By Henry Obetta 

The Kogi State government has reiterated it’s resolution to building a bankable and investment-ready agro-industrial ecosystem in the state as it entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Chinese enterprise, Hezheng Holdings Group and Hezheng Digital Technology Ltd, as part of its efforts aimed at accelerating the implementation of its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone, SAPZ, programme.

The delegation was led by the auditor general of Kogi State and project investment adviser, Yakubu Okala, who represented the Governor of Kogi state. Other members of the delegation included the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ojomah Timothy; Technical Adviser to the Governor’s Office, Abdullahi Ozomata; Chief Economic Adviser to the State, Aliyu Inda Salami; and Project Consultant/Managing Director of Pulse Engineering and Consulting Limited, Mr. David Lekan Obatolu.

In a statement signed by Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, the Kogi state government stated that the delegation toured key Hezheng’s facilities to get valuable insights into the enterprise’s management model, support systems, agri-tech integration, and cross-border market development strategies.

It noted that deliberations between the Kogi State Government and Hezheng focused actionable implementation areas such as ” industrial park development, technology transfer, processing infrastructure, enterprise incubation, park management systems, investment mobilisation, and equipment deployment. 

“Discussions also explored frameworks for establishing a structured and sustainable China–Kogi industrial cooperation platform.

“Both sides expressed strong alignment on the project vision and implementation roadmap. In the coming months, technical and commercial workstreams will be advanced towards full project mobilisation, including preparatory activities for groundbreaking and the establishment of coordination offices in China, Kogi State, and Abuja.” It stated 

The SAPZ initiative is a strategic agro-industrial platform designed to boost food production, enhance processing capacity, create employment opportunities, attract private sector investment, and position Kogi State as a leading agricultural and industrial hub in Nigeria.

The Kogi SAPZ structure comprises the Ajaokuta Agro-Industrial Hub, alongside Agricultural Transformation Centres in Anyigba, Alape, and Osara, as well as the Zariagi Agro-Air Hub. The programme is designed to integrate existing farmer clusters with an additional 150,000 hectares of farmland per zone, creating opportunities for large-scale, tenant-driven agricultural production.