Sokoto State Govt Lays $13m Fertiliser Plant Foundation

Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State has reiterated that the state is ready to support investments capable of developing the economic wellbeing of the people and uplift them from poverty.

Tambuwal said this at the groundbreaking ceremony of OCP Africa’s $13m Sokoto Agricultural Centre of Excellence comprising a fertiliser blending plant with a production capacity of 200,000 MT per annum and training facilities for farmers, fertiliser blenders and other stakeholders in the agricultural value chain.

He said, “Sokoto State has one of the largest deposits of high-quality phosphate in Nigeria, which makes the establishment of the plant in the state a big step towards making fertiliser readily available and affordable to all farmers in the state and the northern region.”

OCP Africa, a subsidiary of the world’s leader in the phosphate industry and its derivatives, OCP Group, said the blending plant would become operational in July 2021.

It said the project would contribute significantly towards the achievement of the food security goals of the country.

Caleb Usoh, the Deputy Managing Director of OCP Africa Fertilisers Nigeria Ltd, in his address said facilities that would be at the blending plant included the modern NPK fertiliser blending equipment, process building/warehouse, administrative building, trailer park, other ancillary facilities.

Usoh said, “The Sokoto Agricultural Centre of Excellence, which will be developed on 10 hectares of land made available by the Sokoto State Government at Kalambaina industrial layout of the state, will provide direct jobs for 75 persons and also serve as a centre of training for fertiliser manufacturers, farmers, and other members of the agricultural value chain.”