From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna
The Niger State Government, led by Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, has formally allocated 500 hectares of land to Abuja Steel Mills Limited.
The vast land parcel, situated in Diko within the Gurara Local Government Area, is designated for the construction of a major Solar Farm and an integrated Industrial Park.
This development serves as a key milestone in the administration’s “New Niger Agenda,” which focuses on aggressive industrialization, clean energy adoption, and sustainable job creation.
The state government aims to leverage its massive landmass and central location to attract large-scale private manufacturing investments.
It was gathered that the 500-hectare solar farm will generate clean power specifically tailored to support heavy manufacturing and reduce dependence on the national grid.
Economic Impact:
The integrated industrial park is expected to dramatically scale up local steel manufacturing capacity, lower production costs, and generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs for communities across the state.
Government officials reiterated that long-term fiscal stability is best achieved by providing an enabling environment that safeguards private investor confidence and secures corporate social responsibility packages for host communities.
As a follow-up to this allocation, the Niger State Government disclosed advanced plans to systematically map out and gazette an additional 200,000 hectares along the crucial Diko–Tafa corridor.
This vast economic zone is being positioned to directly tap into the massive energy potential of the incoming Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline project.
By combining gas infrastructure with local solar fields, Niger State intends to build out an incredibly competitive power landscape for incoming heavy industries.
Expressing appreciation to Abuja Steel Mills Limited for choosing Niger State as its expansion hub, the government urged other local and international conglomerates to take advantage of the state’s investor-friendly land allocation policies.
