One of the biggest attractions for investment in Kebbi State is that the state can boast of 24 hours power supply, a luxury in many parts of Nigeria. Located in the North West of Nigeria, state business is concentrated at Birnin Kebbi the state capital.
Populated by Hausa, Fulani, Lelna, Bussawa, Dukawa, Dakarkari, Kambari, Gungawa and Kamuku ethnic communities, the state is changing from a largely civil service state to an industrialized one with an assortment of mineral resources.
The present administration of Abubakar Atiku Bagudu since assuming office in 2015, is transforming the state into a rice hub based on the state’s natural endowment and competitiveness. The current participation of more than 70,000 farmers in the Anchor Borrowers Rice and wheat farming is testimony of the state’s ambitions.
The state is open to partnerships towards achieving its ultimate objectives of self sufficiency and a robust Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). It is this quest for partnerships that led to the production of The now famous Lake Rice with the Lagos State government, a most welcomed staple by Nigerians in and out of Lagos.
Beyond rice production, the state is involved in other collaborations like market alliance, Animals trade, farm produce processing and marketing as well as tourism promotions.
Even corporate entities are taking advantage of the Kebbi investment opportunity just like Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc are exploring the agriculture potentials of Kebbi State. Flour Mills Plc aims to establish a full fledged Flour Mills Company in the State, because of the abundance rice cultivation and production which cut across 17 out of the 21 local government areas of the State.
Kebbi has extended its invitation to invest to any country that is interested in doing so. On a recent visit to Benin Republic, Governor Atiku Bagudu signed a number of bilateral trade protocols with the Government and Business Community of Benin Republic with a view to fostering trade, industrial and tourism relationships with the country.
AGRICULTURE
With total landmass of approximately ‘ 36,229 sq. km. only an estimated 13, 209 sq. km is currently being used for cultivation, while 293 sq. km is the built up area thus far, leaving a large proportion of land still underutilised.
About 200,000 ha of fertile land is fadama land, mainly situated along the flood plains of the Rima and Niger valleys. The rest is upland, where season cultivation by mainly small holders dominate. These farmlands are capable of supporting “‘ largescale production of crops like millet, guinea corn, rice, wheat, beans, groundnut, cotton, tobacco, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, and vegetables like onion, pepper and tomatoes.
Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy Kebbi State, with more than eighty percent of the people engaged in it. Rainfall is seasonal, as such most farming is carried out during the wet season on the upland during which food and cash crops such as millet, sorghum, maize, rice, beans, cassava, cotton, and tobacco are cultivated.
Animal traction is used among the Kambari, Dukawa and Dakarkaris. Indigenous forms of cultivation are however gradually giving way, as more farmers now use improved seed varieties, chemical fertilizers, formal credit facilities, and ploughs and tractors. Due to migration of family members, indigenous forms of farm labour also are gradually being replaced by hired labour
FOREST RESOURCES
There are nine existing forest reserves in Kebbi State, and there are pockets of ‘natural’ forests in the south and southeast which yield forest resources like wood, thatches, fruits as well as being sanctuaries for wildlife.
Already, the forests in the riverine areas of the state are exploited for wood, used in boat building at Yauri, while in the other parts of the state (around Zuru), the local populace utilize the wood in carving mortars, pestles and handles of various implements like hoes and knives.
ANIMAL RESOURCES
Kebbi State has abundant livestock which include cattle, sheep, goats, if camels, horses, donkeys, pigs and poultry. A survey of livestock potentials in the state . Kebbi State ranks among the five states with the highest number of livestock. The state exports quite a substantial number to other states of Nigeria.
Animal sale at some selected markets in the state are shown in Table 21.6. The importance of livestock in the economy of i the young State can be deduced from the number slaughtered every year. It is estimated that some i 110,000, 152,000 and 211,000 cattle, sheep and goats respectively are slaughtered annually in Kebbi State.
Thus hides and skins is an important livestock subsector. T Bagudo Local Government has the highest concentration of livestock followed by Bunza and Yauri.. The bulk of this cattle population is found in the area south of the 12 parallel.
WATER RESOURCES
Kebbi State has relatively abundant surface water resources in the form of s rivers, such as the Niger, Rima and Ka. These rivers are sources of water for irrigation, domestic use, fishing and transportation. It is estimated that about 60 to seventy percent of the arable land in the state is irrigable.
MINERAL RESOURCES
Existing mineral resources in the state include quartz found in the Zuru area, kaolin in the sedimentary areas of Kaoje in Bagudo , local government, pisolitic bauxite and clay in Dakingari, clay with alumina content in Giro area, potassium in Bunza and Suru areas and silica sand in Bagudo, Yauri, Zuru and Ngaski and salt deposit in Bunza, Arewa and Dandi LGAs (Gamji, 1991). Inspite of the existence of these mineral resources in various parts of the state, no serious exploitation for commercial and industrial purposes has commenced. Thus the mineral resources of the state remain untapped.
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES
In spite of its vast potentials for industrial development, there are no existing manufacturing industries in Kebbi State. However, the Kebbi Investment Company Ltd. has concluded arrangements to establish six industries in the state. These are tomato processing industries at Warra, onion dehydration plant at Aleiro, cotton ginnery at Bagudo, fish processing industry at Yauri and dairy, printing and publishing industries at Birnin Kebbi.
