Borno Unveils 90-Day Plan to Build Regional Agriculture Hub

News in Brief:

— Borno State is seeking private investment in agricultural processing, livestock, renewable energy and regional trade.

— The government has proposed a 90-day investment framework to identify viable projects, assess risks and develop investment-ready proposals.

The Borno State Government has called for increased private sector investment in agriculture, livestock, manufacturing and regional trade as it seeks to rebuild its economy and establish the state as a regional commercial hub.

Speaking at a Private Sector Engagement and Investment Roundtable in Abuja, the government identified agriculture, renewable energy, housing and logistics as priority sectors for investment.

Opportunities in Livestock and Regional Trade

The Chief Adviser and Coordinator, Sustainable Development, Partnership and Humanitarian Response, Dr Mairo Mandara, said more than 60 per cent of Borno's population depended on agriculture, identifying rice, cowpeas, groundnuts, onions and vegetables as commodities with significant investment potential. She urged investors to look beyond primary production towards processing, packaging, storage and export businesses that could create jobs and retain more economic value within the state.

Mandara also highlighted opportunities in animal feed production, dairy and meat processing, veterinary services, cold storage and leather processing. She said Borno's location, bordering Chad, Cameroon and Niger, offered opportunities to develop regional trade networks through investments in warehousing, transportation and commodity aggregation.

Government Proposes 90-Day Investment Framework

To translate investment interest into concrete commitments, Mandara proposed a 90-day framework covering project identification, technical and commercial assessments, and preparation of investment-ready proposals. She also urged financial institutions to introduce guarantees, insurance and risk-sharing arrangements to improve businesses' access to credit.

Earlier, Governor Babagana Zulum's Chief of Staff, Dr Babagana Malumbe, said Borno was moving from humanitarian dependence towards private sector-led development. He highlighted reforms to strengthen the Borno State Investment Promotion Agency (BOSIPA), improve land administration and facilitate public-private partnerships. The government said its objective was to make private investment central to rebuilding livelihoods, expanding production and creating sustainable employment.