Invest in Northern Nigeria

Adamawa State · 4 opportunities

• Livestock value chain — Large cattle population and established markets such as Mubi create scope for abattoirs, meat processing, dairy and leather.
• Agro-processing — Irrigable river valleys and the Numan sugar estate support rice milling, sugar and cotton processing.
• Tourism — The Sukur World Heritage Site, the Mandara Mountains and the Lamido's palace in Yola offer heritage and eco-tourism potential.
• Solid minerals — Deposits of kaolin, bentonite, gypsum and limestone can supply ceramics, drilling-mud and cement industries.
• Full Adamawa profile

Bauchi State · 4 opportunities

• Tourism and hospitality — Yankari National Park, Wikki Warm Springs and the Sumu Wildlife Park offer scope for lodges, eco-tourism and safari services.
• Agro-processing — Large outputs of grains, tomatoes and cotton support milling, processing and storage investments.
• Oil and gas — Development of the Kolmani field creates opportunities in upstream support services and downstream processing.
• Livestock — Extensive herds create openings in ranching, dairy and meat processing.
• Full Bauchi profile

Benue State · 4 opportunities

• Agro-processing — Processing of soybeans, sesame, citrus, mango and cassava close to source, and storage to reduce post-harvest losses in a leading food-producing state.
• Cold chain and logistics — Warehousing, cold storage and haulage serving produce markets such as Zaki-Biam and the Makurdi-Lafia and Makurdi-Otukpo corridors.
• Solid minerals — Limestone and kaolin deposits suit cement, ceramics and industrial-mineral processing.
• Inland waterways and fisheries — The navigable River Benue offers potential for river transport, aquaculture and riverside tourism.
• Full Benue profile

Borno State · 4 opportunities

• Lake Chad basin agriculture and fisheries — Irrigated farming and fishing around Lake Chad and its tributaries offer scope as security improves.
• Regional trade hub — Maiduguri's position near Chad, Niger and Cameroon makes it a natural logistics and wholesale centre.
• Reconstruction and housing — Large-scale resettlement programmes create demand for building materials and construction services.
• Gum arabic and livestock — Processing and export of gum arabic, hides and skins and meat.
• Full Borno profile

Gombe State · 4 opportunities

• Industrial park — The state-backed Gombe Industrial Park on about 1,000 hectares is linked to power from the Dadin Kowa hydro station.
• Cement and building materials — Limestone and gypsum deposits support cement and building-materials production.
• Agro-processing — Grain, cotton and tomato output can feed milling, ginning and processing plants.
• Logistics — Gombe's road network positions it as a transit node between North-East and North-West markets.
• Full Gombe profile

Jigawa State · 4 opportunities

• Agro-processing — Processing and export of sesame, hibiscus, rice and groundnut produced across the state's irrigated and rain-fed farmlands.
• Irrigation agriculture — Dry-season farming on fadama lands along the Hadejia river system, including rice and wheat value chains.
• Cross-border trade — The Maigatari Border Free Zone on the Niger Republic frontier offers sites for trade-related processing and logistics.
• Livestock and leather — Abattoirs, dairy and hides-and-skins processing based on the state's large cattle, sheep and goat population.
• Full Jigawa profile

Kaduna State · 4 opportunities

• Agro-processing — Processing of ginger, maize, soybeans and tomatoes grown in commercial quantities across the state.
• Logistics — The Kaduna Inland Dry Port and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano rail and road corridor support warehousing and distribution businesses.
• Solid minerals and gemstones — Kaduna is a recognised source of gemstones and industrial minerals such as kaolin, offering mining and cutting/polishing opportunities.
• Manufacturing — Established industrial areas in Kaduna city, with existing petroleum-refining and textile infrastructure.
• Full Kaduna profile

Kano State · 4 opportunities

• Agro-processing — Processing of tomatoes, rice, grains, sesame and groundnut from the state's large irrigated and rain-fed farming base.
• Leather and tanning — Expansion of Kano's long-established tanneries and leather-goods manufacturing using local hides and skins.
• Logistics and trade — Warehousing, distribution and export services around the Dala Inland Dry Port, the airport and the city's regional markets.
• Light manufacturing — Textiles, plastics, food and beverages in the Sharada, Challawa and Bompai industrial estates.
• Full Kano profile

Katsina State · 4 opportunities

• Agro-processing — Cotton ginning, grain milling and oilseed processing in the Funtua-Malumfashi agricultural belt.
• Livestock — Dairy, feedlots and abattoirs serving the state's large cattle, sheep and goat herds.
• Cross-border trade — Trade and logistics services along the Katsina-Niger Republic corridor through Jibia and Mai'Adua.
• Mechanisation services — Tractor hiring and agricultural equipment services linked to the state's mechanisation centres.
• Full Katsina profile

Kebbi State · 4 opportunities

• Rice value chain — Paddy aggregation, milling and packaging, building on the state's position as a leading rice producer.
• Fisheries and aquaculture — Commercial fish farming and processing on the Niger and Sokoto-Rima river systems.
• Tourism — Hospitality services around the Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival, a UNESCO-listed event.
• Solid minerals — Formalised exploration and mining of gold deposits in the Zuru area.
• Full Kebbi profile

Kogi State · 5 opportunities

• Iron and steel — Downstream steel and metal fabrication around the Ajaokuta Steel complex and the Itakpe iron ore deposit.
• Cement and building materials — Extensive limestone, marble and clay deposits support cement, aggregates and ceramics production.
• Coal and energy — Coal deposits in Kogi East offer opportunities for mining and coal-to-power or industrial heat projects.
• Agro-processing — Cashew, cassava, rice and sesame processing for domestic and export markets.
• Inland waterways and logistics — River ports and logistics hubs at the Niger-Benue confluence and along the Abuja-Lokoja corridor.
• Full Kogi profile

Kwara State · 5 opportunities

• Agro-processing — Cassava, rice, sugarcane, shea and cashew processing, building on existing commercial farm clusters.
• Garments and light manufacturing — The state-built garment factory in Ilorin targets export-oriented apparel production.
• Technology and creative industries — The Ilorin Innovation Hub and the Kwara Visual Arts Centre provide infrastructure for startups and film/arts production.
• Solid minerals — Marble, feldspar, kaolin and gold deposits offer opportunities for processing and industrial minerals.
• Hospitality and tourism — Ilorin's proximity to Lagos and Abuja by rail and road supports hotels, events and eco-tourism around Owu Falls and Kainji.
• Full Kwara profile

Nasarawa State · 4 opportunities

• Lithium and battery minerals — Further beneficiation of lithium concentrate and the state's stated ambition to attract battery and electric-vehicle assembly.
• Solid minerals processing — Barite (for oil drilling), tantalite, marble and salt deposits suit processing plants.
• Agro-processing — Sesame, soybean, rice and cassava processing in the Lafia-Doma agricultural belt.
• Housing and urban services — Rapid growth in Karu, Mararaba and Masaka creates demand for housing, transport and utilities serving Abuja commuters.
• Full Nasarawa profile

Niger State · 5 opportunities

• Large-scale agriculture and mechanisation — Abundant arable land and irrigation potential along the Niger and Kaduna rivers suit rice, maize and soybean farming and processing.
• Energy — Hydropower host communities, transmission and power-intensive industries near the Kainji, Jebba, Shiroro and Zungeru plants.
• Shea and oilseed processing — Shea, sesame and soybean processing for export markets.
• Solid minerals — Gold, talc and kaolin deposits offer opportunities for licensed mining and processing.
• Real estate and logistics — Suburban development along the Suleja-Madalla corridor bordering Abuja.
• Full Niger profile

Plateau State · 5 opportunities

• Horticulture and agro-processing — Potato, vegetable and fruit processing, cold storage and packaging serving national markets.
• Solid minerals — Tin, columbite, tantalite and kaolin beneficiation, and rehabilitation of former mining land.
• Tourism and hospitality — Highland resorts, eco-tourism and heritage tourism built on the state's climate, rock formations, waterfalls and museums.
• Dairy — Dairy processing and ranching suited to the plateau's cool grasslands.
• Agro-logistics — State agro-logistics hubs at Mangu and Shendam aim to link farm clusters to markets.
• Full Plateau profile

Sokoto State · 4 opportunities

• Leather and livestock — Tanning and leather-goods production, abattoirs and dairy based on the state's large livestock population.
• Cement and minerals — Further exploitation of limestone, gypsum, kaolin and phosphate deposits for construction and fertiliser industries.
• Irrigation agriculture — Rice, wheat, onion and vegetable production on irrigated land in the Sokoto-Rima basin.
• Heritage tourism — Hospitality services for visitors to the historic sites of the Sokoto Caliphate.
• Full Sokoto profile

Taraba State · 4 opportunities

• Tea and highland agriculture — The Mambilla Plateau's temperate climate supports tea, coffee and dairy farming.
• Eco-tourism — Gashaka-Gumti National Park, the Mambilla Plateau and Chappal Waddi can support lodges and guided tourism.
• Agro-processing — Large yam, cassava and rice output creates demand for storage and processing.
• Solid minerals — Barytes, kaolin, limestone and gemstones offer mining and processing opportunities.
• Full Taraba profile

Yobe State · 4 opportunities

• Livestock trade and processing — The Potiskum cattle market and Sahelian camel trade offer scope for abattoirs, cold chains and leather processing.
• Sesame and gum arabic — Export-oriented crops supported by the state's sesame processing hub in Machina.
• Air cargo logistics — The Damaturu international cargo airport can serve agricultural exports and regional trade.
• Cross-border trade — Proximity to Niger Republic supports trade corridors and markets in northern LGAs.
• Full Yobe profile

Zamfara State · 4 opportunities

• Gold mining — Licensed exploration, mining and processing of the state's gold deposits, replacing hazardous artisanal methods.
• Irrigation agriculture — Rice, wheat and vegetable production on the Bakolori irrigation scheme and other dam-fed lands.
• Cotton and textiles — Revival of cotton ginning and textile processing based on local cotton production.
• Livestock — Ranching, dairy and meat processing to serve regional markets.
• Full Zamfara profile