CHARTING A NEW PATH
China-backed poultry project accelerates Kaduna’s agribusiness vision, argues
NICHOLAS BAKO
Back to back, many good things have been happening in and to Kaduna State. Since the assumption of Senator Uba Sani as governor of Kaduna, it is as if a surge of blessings has been let out. The insecurity in that axis is becoming a thing of the past. The state government is investing in public goods and services like agriculture, schools, hospitals, housing, transportation and in particular, roads. New businesses in different fields like mining and agriculture and agro-processings, are coming to set up shop in Kaduna. Partnerships with different countries, foreign firms, agencies and local firms have also been struck by the state government. Sincerely, it has been a rollercoaster of multiple good news from Kaduna that one may seem like a perpetual praise singer. But, the truth is, that is the reality in Kaduna.
And the recent announcement that the state will host the pilot phase of the $450 million Nigeria–China Poultry Project, is without doubt a turning-point. The project is expected to span 10,000 hectares of maize and soybean cultivation, feed production, and a major poultry facility, creating an estimated 50,000 direct and more than 300,000 indirect jobs. In a country that grapples with food-security and youth unemployment, such a bold investment is a big deal. It signals how agriculture is indeed big business. And it is fascinating that construction is scheduled to begin in December.
“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 after recently meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, alongside officials of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP).
The governor also appreciated the federal government for pointing out Kaduna for a pilot. According to newspaper reports, the Nigeria-China Poultry Project will be executed through a Special Purpose Vehicle under the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund, involving the Chinese Government and Kaduna State Government.
To appreciate the significance, one must first acknowledge how the Sani administration has positioned agriculture at the centre of Kaduna’s revival. Under his stewardship, the state is steadily moving farming from subsistence level to that of enterprise, industry and value chain. One recent commentary described his administration as having “married vision with partnership,” creating agro-industrial zones, quality assurance centres, and a dependable road infrastructure that links farm to market. Against the backdrop of insecurity and rural marginalisation that has haunted the north-west region for about a decade, this swing to agriculture is effectively shifting the narrative of the state as a risky hub to an opportunity for farmers.
The poultry initiative, backed by China and selected for Kaduna’s pilot status, is emblematic of this shift. By tying poultry production to feed crops such as maize and soybean, the model avoids the pitfall of value chains that stop at raw material. That alignment ensures that farmers can be integrated in producing eggs, poultry meat, and other by-products. This is a clear departure from fragmented agricultural policies of the past, where what was grown rarely found a market. Here, Nigeria–China partnership reinforces the idea that Kaduna should not only grow raw materials but host processing, employment, and export potential.
For over two years that he has been on the saddle, Sani’s input in the agricultural sector has been sterling. His agricultural agenda shows up in efforts to bring finance, insurance, market access and infrastructure into the fold. For example, by opening up millions of bank accounts, extending agricultural insurance to smallholders, rehabilitating rural roads to reduce post-harvest losses, and building storage capacity to ensure harvests don’t spoil before markets are reached. These are not cosmetic interventions. They reflect a deep recognition that the major factors hampering agriculture are poor logistics, weak market linkages and bad policy coordination. The various interventions will provide a succour for young persons to take agriculture as a meaningful pathway to living and earning. And the poultry-agro model unfolding in Kaduna speaks to this very practical-grounded ambition.
It is also worth noting that choosing Kaduna for this pilot is a vote of confidence in the state’s stability, leadership and investment climate. In fact, the Chinese ambassador complimented the enabling environment in Kaduna, while the Director-General of the NCSP, Joseph Tegbe, commended the state for the swift allocation of over 7,000 hectares of land for the immediate take-off of the project. Talk about preparedness. Surely, that matters a lot. Over time and with different projects, Kaduna under Sani has made the case that it can deliver, that it can prepare land, infrastructure and governance frameworks conducive for large-scale investments. It should be recalled that based on its commitment to agriculture, both the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) has respectively sited a Quality Assurance Centre (AQAC) and Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) in Kaduna.
As it is, the poultry-agro initiative is the latest piece of the jigsaw puzzle aimed at restoring the economic might of Kaduna via agriculture. Alongside with the state’s unique ‘peace model’, which is restoring security across Kaduna, commerce has started booming. Hence, the revival of agriculture is not just about more food, but about restoring livelihoods, calming tensions, and restoring dignity to rural communities. Ultimately, the measure of success will be in the transformation of lives. Will a young woman in Soba or Giwa be able to find meaningful employment because this value chain took root? Will maize and soybean farmers gain predictable markets, inputs, extension services and access to finance? Will Kaduna become a net-food exporter regionally, reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imports?
According to official figures, agriculture already contributes about 43 percent of Kaduna’s GDP and employs more than 60 percent of its citizens. To the federal government, investors and development partners the Kaduna model under Sani sends a clear signal that agriculture can and should be industrialised to serve as a veritable hub, employing many youths. This template too can be copied by other state governors, with each focusing and maximising on their strengths. The key is to reimagine agriculture not as subsistence but as business, export-driven growth and livelihood transformation.
In conclusion, the $450 million Nigeria–China poultry initiative is more than a headline but the manifestation of a strategy. From day one as Kaduna governor, Uba Sani has been intentional, going beyond rhetoric. By repositioning Kaduna as a food-and-agricultural hub, aligning policy with investment, paying attention to infrastructure, finance and value chains, he is charting a new path. The proof will be in the fields, the processing plants, the jobs created and the incomes rising. And as all these align, Kaduna may well become the example of how agriculture in Nigeria can deliver growth and transformation. At a time when the country sorely needs it, that is no small achievement.
Bako writes from Kaduna
