Industrial Hubs that are evolving in the North-West Geopolitical Zone (2)

Owing to its advantage of having been the central capital of the old Northern Region of Nigeria, Kaduna state is unsurprisingly a key industrial hub in the North East. It is Nigeria’s largest textile-manufacturing centre, and has other major industries including an oil refinery and petrochemical complex. Kano is next to Kano in terms of conglomeration of industrial outfits. Another remarkable industrial centre in this geographical area, which is worth mentioning is Zaria and environs. That district processes tobacco and cotton seeds, and also manufactures textiles, bicycles, and printed matter.

Sokoto is coming up as an industrial territory within the North-West geopolitical region. Here, such large conglomerates as the Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) can be found. CCNN was incorporated as far back as 1962 but commenced operations in 1967 with an installed capacity of 100,000 mtpa at Kalambaina in Sokoto State. Later, it was merged with Obu Cement Company Plc (formerly Obu Cement Company Limited) to become BUA Cement Plc. With a combined installed capacity of 11mmtpa (Obu plant, 6mmtpa and Kalambaina plant, 5mmtpa),

BUA Cement Plc is now the largest cement producer in the North-West region of the country, and currently the second-largest producer of cement in Nigeria with its commissioning of the 3 million mtpa, line-4 at Sokoto State in January, 2022.

Obu Cement Company Plc, commenced operations in 2015 at Obu, Okpella, Edo State, Nigeria, with the coming of the Greenfield Line-1 (3 million mtpa) plant.

The Argungu fishing festival has become a landmark tourism activity marking the fish harvest season. This event offers investment opportunities to prospective investors who would like to tap both the economic potentials of the lucrative fishing and tourism industries.

In recent times, Kebbi and Kaduna states have both towered to become rice planting and processing states to reckon with in Nigeria. On the other hand, Kebbi state is currently partnering with Lagos state, whereby Kebbi produces and Lagos markets the local rice.

Virtually all the states belonging to this zone are beckoning to both foreign and local investors to come and invest in this territory, with the offer of a long-retinue of attractive incentives. Investors willing to take advantage of these incentives may wish to contact the author for further information.

Chukwudi Odili