By Danjuma Amodu
The Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, on Saturday, 20 June 2026, flagged off construction of a 200 Megawatts solar power plant in Dikko Community, Niger State, to supply clean energy to Abuja Steel Mills Limited, a subsidiary of African Industries Group, AIG.
This was disclosed in a statement by Lizzy Okoji, Special Assistant on Media to the Honourable Minister of Steel Development.
Audu joined Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe, and Minister of State for Industry Senator John Owan Enoh to perform the groundbreaking and hand over 500 hectares of land for the project.
Set to become the largest solar-powered industrial energy project in Sub-Saharan Africa, the plant will generate the power required to support Abuja Steel Mills’ current operations and future expansion. Officials described it as a direct link between power and steel — two critical drivers of Nigeria’s industrialisation and economic transformation.
Speaking at the event, Minister Audu said the project represents another significant milestone in the realisation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at attracting Foreign Direct Investments, boosting local production, and growing Nigeria’s GDP to $1 trillion by 2030.
He commended Governor Bago’s allocation of 500 hectares of land for the project as a bold decision that will project Niger State as the cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrialisation drive.
“This project represents another significant milestone in the realisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda. It proves that power and steel must work together to drive industrial growth and economic transformation.”
— Prince Shuaibu Audu, Minister of Steel Development
In his remarks, Governor Mohammed Umar Bago thanked African Industries Group for choosing Niger State as the location for the transformational project and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to supporting private sector-led investments.
“The project is a clear testament to what government and the private sector can achieve together for national development. I urge the host community of Dikko to protect the facility as a national asset and I call on the company to prioritise employment opportunities for local residents.”
— Mohammed Umar Bago, Governor of Niger State
Group Chairman of African Industries Group, Mr Raj Gupta, described the occasion as historic, noting that the company’s over five decades of operations in Nigeria have been driven by a commitment to development, empowerment and industrial growth.
Also speaking, the Honourable Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, commended Governor Bago for his act of industrial statesmanship, describing the development of the power project as a bold and visionary decision that will position Niger State at the heart of Nigeria’s industrialisation ecosystem.
Similarly, the Honourable Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, highlighted the significance of the collaboration, noting that the event brought together the critical sectors of power, steel and industry. He emphasised the importance of inter-ministerial synergy in driving sustainable national development and commended AIG for fostering such collaboration.
The 200MW solar project underscores growing competition among states to attract private capital and diversify energy sources for manufacturing. Officials noted that reliable power remains critical to reviving Nigeria’s steel sector, reducing production costs, and creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
