Tomato, a major contributor to Kano’s development in Nigeria

In northern Nigeria, more specifically in the city of Kano, the inhabitants rely on agro-industry, and especially tomato, as a development. Will tomato become more powerful than oil?

Agro-industry in Nigeria
Agribusiness currently accounts for 16.2% of GDP and 60% of employment in Africa.
In Nigeria, several actors are trying to give more space to this sector, to the detriment of oil. This is the case of Akinwumi Adesina, a former Nigerian minister of agriculture, who has become president of the African Development Bank (AfDB). The latter calls on businessmen to invest heavily in this sector to create the conditions for a “green revolution”. The city of Kano in Nigeria took the bull by the horns.

Kano benefits from the irrigation facilities and is in abundance of land. Nigeria’s second largest city is a metropolis of nearly 13 million people, a figure that could double by 2050. Kano also holds the largest markets in West Africa.

The 14th largest tomato producer in the world and the first in sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria imported nearly 189,000 tomatoes annually. In order to encourage local production, the federal government eventually banned the import of tomato sauce in March.

Kwankwasiyya
Kwankwasiyya is one of the three “new cities” of Kano. A project launched by the former governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to relieve the old city. Thanks to government subsidies, low prices are favored. 2,000 low-cost homes will be built east of the city over the next four years, “according to Bashir Mudi (architect and businessman responsible for thinking about Kano’s development).

Bashir Mudi favors the renovation of markets, which he wants to bring to international standards, and the creation of a modern shopping center inspired by Dubai. Kano is a regional trade hub that attracts buyers from all over West Africa. For 2022, the Bashir Mudi team is developing a project for a business district outside the city, on 100 hectares, at a cost of 450 million euros.

According to Governor Ganduje, Kano could become a small regional Dubai and a center of reference for agribusiness in Africa.

Source: Le Monde