The Kwara State Government, North Central Nigeria, has stepped up efforts to attract international investment, showcasing opportunities across key economic sectors at the Nigeria Investment Forum 2026, held at the Consulate General of Nigeria in New York.

At the forum, themed "Connecting Capital to Opportunity: Investing in Africa's Next Frontier," the state highlighted opportunities in agriculture, agro-processing, solid minerals, manufacturing, livestock, aquaculture, tourism, technology, energy and infrastructure.

It also presented ongoing reforms designed to promote transparency, improve regulatory efficiency and create a more predictable, investor-friendly business environment.

Presenting Kwara's investment proposition, the Commissioner for Finance, Dr Hauwa Nuru, said the state was strategically positioned to become a major hub for production, processing, trade and enterprise.

She identified its central location, agricultural potential, mineral resources, peaceful environment, expanding infrastructure, skilled workforce and reform-oriented governance as key advantages for investors.

According to her, Kwara's position between Northern and Southern Nigeria, alongside its proximity to the Republic of Benin, provides access to major domestic markets and wider regional and West African trade opportunities.

"Kwara is open for business and ready for partnership," Dr Nuru declared.

She said the state aimed to move beyond the promise of natural resources towards building productive industries, commercially viable enterprises and measurable economic outcomes.

Dr Nuru identified agriculture, livestock and agro-processing as major pillars of Kwara's investment proposition.

She highlighted opportunities in dairy production and the commercial cultivation and processing of cassava, rice, maize, soybean, oil palm, sesame and cashew.

Investors, she said, could explore opportunities across the agricultural value chain, including commercial farming, mechanisation, irrigation, storage and warehousing, cold-chain logistics, packaging, agricultural equipment and export-oriented processing.

She also drew attention to the state's shea value chain, which offers opportunities in shea nut aggregation, modern shea butter processing, cosmetics, pharmaceutical-grade products, packaging and exports.

According to the commissioner, investment in the shea industry could deliver commercial returns while improving livelihoods for women, rural producers and small businesses.

She further highlighted the state's dairy and agro-industrial development agenda, including the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone initiative, as part of efforts to strengthen agricultural value chains, attract processing industries, reduce post-harvest losses and create jobs.

Kwara's solid mineral resources also featured prominently in the investment pitch, with opportunities identified in lithium, gold, limestone, marble, granite and kaolin, among others.

Dr Nuru said the state's ambition extended beyond mineral exploration and extraction to processing, refining and the manufacture of industrial and construction materials.

She invited investors with the requisite technical expertise and capital, as well as appropriate environmental safeguards, to explore opportunities that could promote local value addition, strengthen industrial supply chains and generate sustainable employment.

The commissioner also identified commercial aquaculture and catfish processing, dairy and livestock development, textile and garment manufacturing, tourism and hospitality, real estate, healthcare, energy, water infrastructure and logistics as promising sectors for private investment.

Dr Nuru said Kwara's investment proposition rested not only on its natural and economic assets but also on efforts to improve the institutional environment for businesses.

She highlighted the roles of the Kwara State Ease of Doing Business Council and the Kwara State Investment Promotion Agency (KWIPA) in facilitating investor engagement, providing guidance, coordinating government institutions, supporting policy advocacy and strengthening investor aftercare.

She also cited ongoing ease-of-doing-business reforms, the digitalisation of government services, improvements in land administration, the public-private partnership framework and measures to strengthen transparency and regulatory efficiency.

According to her, these initiatives seek to reduce avoidable administrative bottlenecks, improve access to information, increase predictability and simplify government processes for investors.

The commissioner identified Kwara's peaceful business environment, fertile agricultural land, natural resources, expanding infrastructure, human capital and access to regional markets as competitive advantages.

She also noted that the state's tertiary, technical and vocational institutions, including the University of Ilorin and Kwara State University, offer businesses opportunities to access talent, develop skills, support research and build stronger industry-academia partnerships.

On tourism, Dr Nuru highlighted opportunities in hospitality, leisure, ecotourism, recreational facilities and tourism-support services.

She identified Owu Waterfalls, Esie Museum, Lata Grazing Reserve and the state's wider cultural and natural heritage as attractions that could support tourism investment.

According to her, well-structured private investment in these assets could help develop tourism products, attract visitors, support local enterprises and create jobs in hospitality, transport, entertainment and related services.

She stressed that Kwara's investment drive aimed to build an economy in which commercially viable businesses could thrive while communities benefited from job creation, skills development, stronger local supply chains and improved livelihoods.

Dr Nuru invited international investors, development finance institutions, development partners and private-sector operators to engage with the state, identify viable projects and establish partnerships that could expand production, accelerate industrial development and strengthen Kwara's contribution to Nigeria's economic growth.

In a message to prospective investors, she said: "Come to Kwara not simply to explore opportunities, but to build enterprises. Come not simply to trade, but to produce. Come not simply to extract resources, but to add value. Come and partner with a State committed to creating the conditions for investment to succeed."

She added that the AbdulRazaq administration had laid the foundations for investment through infrastructure development, institutional strengthening, economic reforms and strategic partnerships.