The vast land of Niger State in North Central Nigeria is aiding the state’s drive towards industrialization.
A new industrial hub is springing up in the state as the Hydropolis Free Zone Development Company (HFZDC), Amfani, break the ground for an industrial park.
Nigeria is made-up of 923,769 km2 with a World Bank 2019 report of an estimated 200 million population. Niger State covers approximately 86,000km2, which is about 10 percent of the total land area of Nigeria, and about 85 percent of the land is arable.
The state, according to reports, possesses fertile land, a favorable climate, rich annual rainfall, and the availability of a wide variety of minerals and agricultural resources. Some natural and mineral resources found in the state are talc, gold, Bali clay, silica sand, marble, copper, iron, felsper, lead, Kaolin, cassiterite, columbite, mica, quartzite, and limestone.
Niger is also called the power hub of Nigeria as it has three hydropower stations at Kainji, Jebba, and Shiroro, while two new ones at Zungeru and Gurara are being constructed.
HFZDC is an initiative of Hydropolis Investments Limited (HIL), a special purpose vehicle created by Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited (MESL). MESL is the operator of the Kainji and Jebba hydropower plants, generating about 922 megawatts (MW) of the national grid energy.
On the Eastern bank of the Kainji Lake on the River Niger lies about 2,000 hectares acquired in partnership with the Niger State Government to create an enabling environment for manufacturing, real estate, tourism, mining, education, health, airport, and smart infrastructure and facilities that will ensure the success of the project.
According to HIL, the promoter, the Hydropolis free zone is the first of its kind in Nigeria and is being supported by the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).
Read More: https://dailytrust.com/how-niger-is-spurring-industrialisation-with-hydropolis-ftz
