Governor Muhammed Umaru Bago has declared that Niger State is open for business for the Dangote Group and other players in the Organised Private Sector (OPS).

Speaking while declaring open the Trade Fair yesterday, the governor said the state is endowed with abundant and largely untapped natural resources, which present vast opportunities for investors across agriculture, mining, manufacturing, energy and other key sectors of the economy.

Dangote is the major sponsor of the ongoing 2026 Niger National Trade Fair, with the theme: Public Private Partnership as the Panacea for Nigeria Economic Growth and Stability.

The governor who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Helen William Umar, said: “No government, no matter how well-intentioned, can singlehandedly provide all the infrastructure, jobs, investments and opportunities required by a rapidly growing population. Sustainable development can only happen when the government and the private sector work together with trust, vision and shared responsibility.”

He said: “Government provides the enabling environment through policies, infrastructure, security, and institutional support, while the private sector brings innovation, efficiency, enterprise, and investment capital. When these forces come together, economies grow, industries expand, and people prosper. “

The Governor added: “To our investors and private sector partners, let me assure you that Niger is open for business.”

Speaking, Regional Director and Senior Adviser to the President of Dangote Group, Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman, said: “Our relationship with Niger State extends far beyond our annual sponsorship of this trade fair.”

Mrs Wali-Abdurahman, who was represented by General Manager Government Relations, Hashem Ahmed, noted: “This investment aligns directly with Governor Bago’s vision of making Niger State the food basket of Nigeria.”

She said the Dangote Group remains, “committed to deepening this collaboration. Together, we can lay the foundation for a more industrialised, food secure and prosperous Niger State.”

Speaking earlier, President of the Niger Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NCCIMA), Suleiman A. Liman, said: “PPP is not slogan. It is how road gets built, how agro-processing plants get funded, how small businesses access markets, and how jobs are created.”

The President added: “Our role as NCCIMA is to mobilize the private sector to meet that opportunity with investment, innovation and enterprise.”

He said the NCCIMA has arranged B2B sessions, investors roundtables, and a trade finance clinic to make those connections easier.

The Commissioner for Investment and Private Sector Development, Aminu Suleiman Takuma, said: “Government does not create wealth. Peoples do. Businesses do. Manufacturers do. What government must do is create the conditions where wealth creation is possible, predictable and profitable.”

In his reaction, the national president of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Alhaji Jani Ibrahim, commended NCCIMA for organising yet another successful Trade Fair.

The National President, who was represented by the former President of NCCIMA, Dr. Bisi Adeniyi, said: “Niger State, with its landmass, water resources, and youthful population, is strategically positioned to lead that charge. But it will only happen if we, in the private sector, step forward with capital, technology, and enterprise, and if government continues to create an enabling environment.”

Speaking to newsmen in Minna, the Director General of the Niger Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NCCIMA), Adamu Salihu, said this year’s fair is expected to attract about 300 exhibitors, which include investors, policymakers, and business leaders from across the country.

•PHOTO, From Left: Former President of NCCIMA Dr. Bisi Adeniyi, General Manager, Government Relations Dangote Group, Hashem Ahmed, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Helen William Umar and President of NCIMMA, Suleiman Liman, at the opening of the 22nd edition of the Niger National Trade Fair in Minna, Niger State...Thursday.

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