- Niger State has allocated 500 hectares of land to Abuja Steel Mills Limited for a massive solar-powered steel facility and new industrial park.
- The project will combine large-scale steel manufacturing with a dedicated solar plant, aiming to reduce reliance on Nigeria’s unreliable electricity grid.
- This initiative aligns with the state’s broader plan to become a key industrial corridor, supported by additional land, gas pipeline access, and hydro assets.
- Officials highlight the role of steel and renewable energy <a href="https://usglobalxpress.com/how-the-us-has-overtaken-chinas-investments-in-africa/” title=”How the US has overtaken China's investments in Africa”>investments in achieving Nigeria’s goal of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
The project will combine a large-scale steel manufacturing complex with a dedicated solar power plant and the proposed AIG Industrial Park, reflecting Nigeria’s growing push to reduce manufacturers‘ dependence on the country’s unreliable electricity grid
Raj Gupta, Chairman of African Industries Group, described the land allocation as , saying the solar installation could become the largest in Nigeria and potentially the biggest supporting a steel operation anywhere in West Africa or sub-Saharan Africa
The investment aligns with Governor Mohammed Umar Bago’s broader ambition to position Niger State as Nigeria’s next major industrial corridor
The governor announced plans to gazette an additional 200,000 hectares of industrial land stretching toward Kaduna State, leveraging the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, abundant solar reebba, Shiroro and Zungeru dams
Steel Development Minister Shuaibu Audu praised African Industries for growing from a modest steel business into one of West Africa’s largest producers, employing around 10,000 people across its operations. He linked the investment to the federal government’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030, with steel expected to play a central role
Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment John Enoh said private-sector investments of this scale would be essential to reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported steel products while creating jobs and expanding local manufacturing
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Founded more than five decades ago, African Industries Group has grown into one of Nigeria’s largest industrial conglomerates, operating more than 30 manufacturing plants across sectors including steel, mining, chemicals, glass and real estate
Abuja Steel Mills, the African Industries subsidiary receiving the land, is expanding into utility-scale solar as it seeks to power steel production with renewable energy instead of relying on Nigeria’s unreliable grid and costly diesel generators
If successful, the project could become a model for how energy-intensive manufacturers across Africa power industrial growth with cleaner, more reliable energy