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The Niger State Government, through the Niger State Investment Promotion Agency (NSIPA), has announced a landmark agribusiness and environmental investment by SALID Agriculture Nigeria Limited, describing it as another milestone in the state’s drive toward inclusive economic development, value chain transformation and climate-resilient growth.
The company has commenced the pilot phase of the GreenBlue Project, a five-year Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiative in Kusopa Community, Kudu, Mokwa Local Government Area, where the SALID Shea Nut Processing Plant is already operational.
The pilot phase is backed by a Memorandum of Understanding signed between SALID Agriculture Nigeria Limited and the Kusopa Community, represented by its Community Liaison Officer, formalising the framework for implementing the project across Kusopa and its constituent villages.
The flagship investment, valued at ₦500 million, is expected to benefit 3,000 people during the pilot phase, with a long-term target of reaching 20,000 beneficiaries across Niger, Nasarawa and Plateau states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory. The company said at least 75 per cent of the beneficiaries would be women, in line with its ESG commitment to gender inclusion and rural women empowerment.
According to the project proposal, the GreenBlue Project is designed to strengthen the shea value chain while addressing the challenges of deforestation, desertification and climate change. The initiative is also expected to create income-generating opportunities, improve food security and stimulate community-level economic activities through integrated agribusiness and environmental programmes.
As part of the project, SALID Agriculture Nigeria Limited plans to implement several community development initiatives, including shea business development and quality improvement, entrepreneurship training and business incubation, climate change adaptation and resilience interventions, shea parkland management and agroforestry systems, community woodlot development, promotion of alternative energy sources, carbon credit and environmental conservation initiatives, as well as monitoring, evaluation and sustainability programmes.
The company said its long-term vision is to empower 20,000 beneficiaries across the four states and the FCT, improve livelihoods for rural women and youths, and contribute to Nigeria’s transition to sustainable, climate-smart agribusiness. These projections are based on the investor’s five-year development plan.
The investment, according to the state government, further reinforces Niger State’s growing reputation as a destination for purpose-driven agricultural investment and community-integrated economic development.
Located about 57 kilometres from Abuja along the Mokwa corridor, the Kusopa project site provides direct access to the SALID Shea Processing Plant and further positions Niger State as a hub for shea production, processing and export.
Speaking during a sensitisation workshop held on December 17, 2025, under the Niger State Action for Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) framework, the Niger State Investment Promotion Agency reaffirmed the government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for investments that deliver both economic and social benefits.
The agency noted that the GreenBlue Project’s nomination and certification under the FRILIA Investment Framework demonstrates its alignment with the state government’s vision of making Niger State Nigeria’s leading destination for agribusiness, women-led enterprise development and climate-smart investment.
The Niger State Government welcomed the investment and expressed its commitment to working closely with SALID Agriculture Nigeria Limited, the Kusopa Community and other stakeholders as the project progresses through its pilot and full implementation phases.
The project will be implemented at the SALID Shea Nut Processing Plant in Kusopa Community, Kudu, Mokwa Local Government Area.
The ₦500 million pilot phase centres on the GreenBlue ESG initiative for shea value chain development, targeting 3,000 women and youths initially, with a long-term goal of reaching 20,000 beneficiaries across Niger, Nasarawa and Plateau states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The broader vision is to establish an integrated agribusiness and community development ecosystem focused on shea production, climate resilience, women’s enterprise, agroforestry and export-oriented value addition.
