No fewer than six state governors have pledged to apply lessons from the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) in the Republic of Benin to accelerate industrialisation, revive Nigeria’s textile sector and expand local manufacturing.
The commitment was made during an inspection of the integrated industrial park near Cotonou alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the visit is part of the Federal Government’s broader drive under President Bola Tinubu to establish agro-industrial processing hubs and boost domestic manufacturing capacity.
The delegation included Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda and Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi.
The governors said the industrial zone demonstrated how purposeful government policies, dependable infrastructure and private-sector investment could strengthen agricultural value chains, reduce the export of raw materials and create jobs across the agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
AbdulRazaq, who chairs the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, described the tour as an opportunity for African governments to learn from one another and adopt proven industrial strategies while avoiding costly mistakes.
“Nigeria is on the verge of developing industrial processing zones across the federation.
“We previously visited Ethiopia to study what they had done, and we are now in Benin Republic to learn from both the challenges and the successes of this industrial zone.
“We have examined the cotton, cashew and soybean value chains. What we have seen has been a tremendous success, and we will take these lessons back to Nigeria as we implement our own projects,” he said.
He noted that participating states were collaborating with the Federal Government and development partners to provide the infrastructure needed to support the proposed industrial zones.
‘We can industrialise Jigawa’
Namadi said the visit offered valuable insights that would support Jigawa State’s participation in Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones programme and help maximise value from its agricultural produce.
“What we have seen here is very encouraging, both for us as a country and as a state.
“We have learnt many things that will help us industrialise Jigawa and create sustainable jobs for our young people,” he said.
He added that embracing the model through the SAPZ programme would enable the state to process more of its agricultural products locally while creating employment and economic opportunities.
Zamfara governor eyes textile revival
Lawal said the visit reminded him of the era when Zamfara had a flourishing textile industry supported by cotton ginneries and oil mills that provided jobs for thousands of people.
“This takes me down memory lane because I grew up around this industry. My father was one of the owners of the Zamfara Textile Industry.
“At one point, the factory operated three shifts, with about 2,000 workers on each shift. Zamfara also had about 23 ginneries and an oil mill, where even cotton seeds were converted into oil,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the GDIZ model had provided a roadmap for restoring cotton production and textile manufacturing in the state.
“This visit has given me a clear pathway. Reviving this industry is one of the legacies I want to leave in Zamfara State, and I am determined to make it a reality,” Lawal said.
He added that rebuilding the textile value chain would benefit farmers, processors and manufacturers while creating jobs and improving livelihoods.
Uzodimma stressed the need for stronger collaboration among African countries through knowledge sharing, saying each nation should develop industries based on its comparative advantages to promote employment and economic growth.
He also praised President Tinubu for assigning Shettima to lead the delegation, describing the visit as a practical step towards advancing the administration’s industrialisation agenda.
“We are satisfied with what we have seen. If this model is properly adopted in Nigeria, with every state building around its comparative advantage, we will create the prosperity and employment opportunities our people need,” he said.
Radda said the production model at GDIZ could be successfully replicated in states with strong agricultural resources such as Katsina.
“What we have seen today is achievable in our states. Katsina is one of Nigeria’s major cotton-producing states, and we are also doing well in soybean production.
“We have both comparative and competitive advantages in these commodities. By applying the lessons from this zone, we can create jobs for our young people, generate wealth and build stronger links between agriculture and industry,” he said.
Mutfwang described the industrial zone as evidence that a well-conceived vision could be transformed into a thriving industrial ecosystem through determination, strategic planning and capable leadership.
“What we have seen is something that has moved from an idea to reality. The lesson is that this kind of success requires intentionality.
“It cannot happen by chance. It requires political will and the appointment of the right people to drive the process,” he said.
He added that both Nigeria and Plateau State possessed enormous economic potential but needed to focus on processing raw agricultural products to unlock greater value.
“We came with the Vice President to see a practical demonstration of what we have been discussing. This aligns with the President’s vision of building a $1tn economy.
“It demonstrates that ambition must be driven by production, processing and a firm belief that Nigeria has the capacity to achieve it,” he said.
