Nigeria is welcoming a significant financial boost to its agricultural sector following the announcement of a multi-million-dollar investment drive by Export Trading Group (ETG), a major African agribusiness conglomerate. The Nigerian government, led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, has pledged its full support for the venture, which is expected to generate over 6,000 jobs and is viewed as a vote of confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reform agenda.
Vice President Shettima received an ETG delegation, led by Global Chief Operating Officer Mr Niren Murugan, at the State House in Abuja, where he expressed the government’s enthusiasm for the planned expansion. He highlighted that ETG’s increased interest in areas like agro-logistics, fertiliser systems, seed production, and industrial processing aligns perfectly with the Renewed Hope Agenda, a key policy of the administration designed to bolster food security and promote economic growth.
The Vice President was quoted as saying, “You have been in the country since 2010, but this time around you have decided to play a more active role in Nigeria’s agricultural value chain. This is where the action is.” He underscored Nigeria’s potential, noting, “We have the population and abundance of resources for your investments to thrive. All your investment decisions are wonderful.”
He further praised ETG’s plan to establish Centres of Agro-Excellence and its existing work in seed development, oil processing, fertiliser blending, and agricultural extension services. These investments, according to the government, are a direct result of the administration’s structural reforms, which aim to remove barriers to trade and investment, unify the foreign exchange window, and redirect resources freed from fuel subsidy removal into critical sectors like infrastructure and agriculture. This proactive environment is designed to attract the foreign direct investment (FDI) necessary for sustainable economic recovery and diversification away from oil.
For its part, ETG confirmed its mission to reinforce its investment footprint in the country and strengthen collaboration with federal and state governments. Mr Murugan detailed the conglomerate’s ambitious plans, including the expansion of an oil processing facility in Sagamu, Ogun State, which is scheduled to begin operations in the second quarter of 2026.
Beyond processing, ETG announced proposed investments in fertiliser blending, seed production, and integrated agro-logistics. Crucially, the company plans a major collaboration with state governments to establish Centres of Agro-Excellence in Kaduna, Ebonyi, Cross River, Ekiti, Jigawa, Nasarawa, and Borno States.
Mr Murugan explained that these centres will serve as essential regional hubs for distributing farm inputs, facilitating mechanisation, providing storage, and carrying out primary processing, directly supporting local farmers and modernising the agricultural value chain.
The meeting also saw enthusiastic support from regional leaders. Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, who was in attendance, pledged his state’s readiness to partner with ETG to unlock its vast agricultural potential. He assured the delegation that reforms in the state are already boosting productivity.
“We can match your vision end-to-end. We have the land, the mineral resources and the enabling environment to make it happen,” Governor Otu stated. He also highlighted opportunities in key infrastructure projects such as the Bakassi Deep Seaport and the Calabar Port revival plan, which are essential to facilitating agricultural exports and trade, demonstrating how the investment ties into broader national economic strategy and regional development.
The renewed focus on agribusiness by global players like ETG signals a growing optimism in Nigeria’s ability to turn its vast agricultural resources and ongoing economic reforms into a platform for significant job creation and national food security.
