Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State has
announced a landmark $100 million offtake agreement with the Saudi
Export and Import Bank to supply livestock to the Middle East.
The deal, which begins with an initial $10 million
tranche, was unveiled on Tuesday at the FirstBank Agric and Export Expo
2025 in Lagos. Governor Bago described it as a “turning point in Nigeria’s
non-oil export drive”, estimating the Middle Eastern livestock market at $2.5
billion annually.
He said the initiative would not only export meat but
also add value to animal by-products such as hides, skin, and hooves, ensuring
a full livestock processing ecosystem.
Lagos Partnership on Food & Logistics
Governor Bago highlighted Niger’s partnership with
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State to create an integrated production-to-market
supply chain. Lagos, already Nigeria’s largest consumer market, has
provided a ?5 billion offtake guarantee as part of a broader ?500
billion food security partnership.
To boost production, Niger will allocate 100,000
hectares of farmland to Lagos for crop and livestock farming. Bago
emphasized modern logistics, including LNG-powered cold-chain trucks, to
end the practice of transporting live animals, replacing it with packaged,
frozen meat deliveries.
Driving Non-Oil Export Growth
Governor Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed Lagos’ role as Nigeria’s
export hub, citing investments in ports, logistics corridors, and trade
digitalization. He stressed that Niger’s vast land resources could unlock food
security for Lagos and enhance Nigeria’s global agricultural exports.
FirstBank CEO Olusegun Alebiosu underscored the
importance of the initiative, describing agriculture as “rightfully at the
heart of Nigeria’s national development agenda” and pledging financial
sector support for export diversification.
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