Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on African nations to take their rightful place in global trade by harnessing the continent’s abundant natural resources and expanding value-added industrial production.
Shettima made the call on Friday during an official visit to the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, where he led a delegation of six Nigerian governors on a tour of the industrial hub.
The Vice President said Africa must move beyond exporting raw materials and instead focus on processing its resources into finished products capable of competing in international markets.
He assured that under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, no region of Nigeria would be left behind in the country’s ongoing industrialisation drive.
According to Shettima, the Federal Government, working in partnership with state governments, is committed to accelerating economic development through strategic investments in manufacturing and agro-industrialisation.
He praised the Beninese government’s efforts in developing value chains for agricultural products, describing the country’s industrial model as an African success story worthy of emulation.
Highlighting the continent’s untapped economic potential, Shettima lamented that Africa receives only a small fraction of the global cotton industry’s value despite being a major producer.
“Of the $370 billion global cotton industry, Africa benefits from only about one per cent,” he said, adding that revitalising Nigeria’s textile value chain could create millions of jobs, boost non-oil exports and stimulate economic growth.
The Vice President said Nigeria plans to replicate key aspects of Benin’s industrial strategy as part of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We are here at the instance of President Bola Tinubu to undertake a peer review of global best practices in value addition. We are establishing eight Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones across eight states, and we have learnt valuable lessons that will be replicated in Nigeria,” Shettima said.
During the visit, the delegation inspected the industrial zone’s integrated textile and agro-processing facilities, where locally grown cotton is processed into yarn, fabric and finished garments, while cashew nuts, soybeans and other agricultural commodities are transformed into export-ready products.
The Nigerian delegation was briefed by Benin’s Minister of Tourism and Foreign Trade, Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, on the structure, production capacity and investment opportunities within the industrial zone.
The 1,640-hectare Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone, developed through a public-private partnership between the Beninese government and ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms, currently hosts textile, garment, cashew and soybean processing facilities and has created more than 25,000 jobs since commencing operations in 2021.
The visit forms part of Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Programme by adopting successful models for agricultural value addition, industrial infrastructure, private investment mobilisation and export-oriented manufacturing.
The governors accompanying the Vice President included AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Dikko Umar Radda (Katsina), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau) and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara).
They expressed readiness to pursue similar industrial projects in their respective states, citing opportunities for public-private partnerships, youth employment, technology transfer and stronger linkages between farmers and manufacturers.
To commemorate the visit and promote environmental sustainability, Vice President Shettima and the governors planted trees within the industrial zone before concluding the tour.
