Governor Bala Mohammed has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to meeting all international requirements necessary to secure a proposed $200 million agro-industrial investment.

The investment is supported by the Islamic Development Bank and other development partners.

Mr Mohammed gave the assurance while receiving officials of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones mission on a courtesy visit on Thursday in Bauchi.

The visit focused on strengthening collaboration to boost agricultural productivity and accelerate agro-industrial development in the state.

He expressed confidence that the state would meet all appraisal and compliance standards required by the international financiers.

According to the governor, Bauchi has strengthened its engineering, technical, and feasibility teams to ensure that all project documentation aligns with global standards used by institutions such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

He described agriculture as the backbone of Bauchi’s economy, citing Bauchi’s vast arable land and comparative advantage in crops such as rice, cassava and sesame.

The governor added that the state already hosted some of the largest rice mills in the region and continued to attract investors by providing land and incentives.

Mr Mohammed noted, however, that though the state produces large quantities of sesame exported through neighbouring states to international markets, it has yet to fully capture the value chain benefits.

He stressed the need to transition from subsistence farming to mechanised, science-driven agriculture, anchored in strong private-sector participation.

Chuma Ezedinma, SAPZ mission team lead, said the bank planned on co-financing a $200 million investment project across eight states, subject to the fulfilment of key regulatory and documentation requirements.

He explained that the project had been classified as a category one initiative, requiring the state to publish its Environmental and Social Impact Assessment reports at least 120 days before presentation to the bank’s board.

Mr Ezedinma added that the visit formed part of a pre-appraisal mission to review documentation and guide the state on compliance ahead of the expected board consideration before the third quarter of 2026.

(NAN)