Niger and Benin Launch $Multi-Billion Cotton and Food Farming Partnership

The Niger State Government has entered a multi-billion dollar agreement with the Republic of Benin to increase cotton and food production.

The deal was signed in Cotonou through Niger State’s Special Purpose Vehicle, Sonama AG Mech Ltd., and will support the “Cotton Common Platform Project,” which aims to produce 450,000 tonnes of cotton in the Borgu region.

Under the agreement, Benin Republic will provide technical support in cotton farming, while Niger State will contribute land and resources.

By 2030, approximately 550,000 hectares of farmland will be cultivated using crop rotation that includes cotton, maize, and soybeans.

Cultivation is set to start with 20,000 hectares in the first year, expand to 50,000 hectares in the second year, and gradually reach 450,000 hectares by 2030. The initiative is expected to reduce food importation and generate around $739 million annually.

It will also create roughly one million jobs, increase mechanisation and irrigation, and establish 55 technical centres to train agronomists, mechanics, and drivers.

Governor Mohammed Bago, who led the signing delegation, was welcomed in Cotonou by Benin’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olushegun Bakari, and Minister of Agriculture, Gaston Dossouhoui.

Officials believe the partnership will strengthen agriculture in the region and attract further international investment.

The project combines the vast arable land and water resources of Borgu with the technical expertise of Benin to expand sustainable agriculture in West Africa.