Ahead of the opening of the 2026 National Agricultural Show on Monday, 16 November, Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) has announced that it is sponsoring the event while expanding its investments in Northern Nigeria’s farming sector, in line with the government’s drive to strengthen food security, raise productivity and create jobs.
A statement by the Group Chief, Branding and Corporate Communication Officer, Mr. Anthony Chiejina, said the company was deepening its role in Nigeria’s agricultural transformation through investments in mechanised agriculture, major rice milling projects in northern states and sugar backward integration.
The statement quoted the company’s Regional Director and Senior Adviser to the Group President, Mrs Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman, as saying the initiatives are designed to strengthen domestic food production, stimulate agro-industrial development, create employment and unlock the vast agricultural potential of Northern Nigeria.
She said the Group’s fertiliser business is a major contribution to the sector, supplying locally manufactured inputs that can help farmers improve productivity, enhance soil fertility and increase crop yields. She disclosed that DIL’s sponsorship of the Show is part of its continued efforts to support agricultural development.
The Show, organised under the auspices of the National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN), will be formally declared open by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari.
According to the statement, the Group’s engagement also stresses inclusive participation, particularly greater involvement of women and young people, whom it described as essential to the future of agriculture and agribusiness in Nigeria.
Its vision, it said, is to help build a more productive, competitive and self-sufficient agricultural sector and position Nigeria as a major player in Africa’s agricultural economy.
Speaking to newsmen in Abuja, NAFN National Coordinator, Hajiya Aishatu Rufa’i Ibrahim, said this year’s Show is themed “Building a Resilient Nigerian Agrifood System: Empowering Farmers, Mobilizing Investment and Driving Innovation for Food Security and Shared Prosperity.”
She said the Show goes beyond the traditional exhibition of agricultural products. In her words, it offers a strategic platform that connects farmers, investors, policymakers, technology providers and other stakeholders to develop practical solutions to Nigeria’s food security challenges.
Mrs. Ibrahim described NAFN’s relationship with the Dangote Group as instrumental in fostering private-sector partnerships that support agricultural development, industrialisation and food security.
She said the Group remains an important reference point in Nigeria’s investment landscape and thanked it for its contributions to national economic development.
She said the Foundation’s message to Alhaji Aliko Dangote is to urge him to keep expanding his investment footprint in the sector, noting that his experience in large-scale industrial investment can help transform agriculture through mechanisation, agro-processing, storage, logistics and commodity production.
She added that the country needs more indigenous investors of his calibre who see agriculture not merely as farming but as a major business opportunity capable of generating wealth, creating jobs and securing Nigeria’s food future.
