The Lagos-Kano-Jibiya (LAKAJI) corridor is a 1,225-kilometre route that runs from Lagos through Kano, ending in Jibiya at the border with Niger Republic. It is a major conduit for food supply from the North to the South. But farmers are finding it difficult to transport food across the region. It has become imperative to tackle the problem as Nigeria is set to play a major role in addressing Africa’s food security issues. DANIEL ESSIET reports.
The Lagos-Kano-JIbiya (LAKAJI) corridor is a 1,225-kilometre transport route. It is a broad swathe of territory beginning from the Lagos port and terminating at the Republic of Niger border of Jibiya in Katsina State.

The area covers Jigawa,Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Kwara, Niger, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kogi, Kaduna, Kano and Katsina states as well as the Jibiya route. It has arable land, special economic zones designed to promote agribusiness, major water retention and irrigation schemes and large grain storage facilities.

Offering rice, sugar cane, maize, cassava, poultry, fish, cattle and dairy, cocoa, cashews, sustainable seafood, sesame seed and shea and shea butter and lots more, the region is one of those untapped agricultural destinations. Production and processing centres along the corridor also benefit from proximity to dense urban population centers that provide end markets for domestic goods.

So far, the corridor is said to be Nigeria’s busiest transport corridor facilitating the movement of 30 million tonnes of goods per year valued at more than $6 billion and accounting for 36 per cent of the country’s total gross domestic product (GDP).This is because it is a major conduit for food supplies from the North to the South. It is also a vital channel for food supplies to neighbouring countries in Niger, Chad, Cameroon ,Benin. Experts agreed the area has the potential to stimulate investment in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, linking the largest consumer market in West Africa(Lagos) with some of the highest potential agricultural zones in the region. Leveraging on the potential of the region, according to them, offers untold benefits for the nation and, ultimately, the continent. Interestingly, the fundamentals are all in place for the area to act as an agriculture hub.

Speaking on this, the National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu urged the Federal Government to pay more attention to the LAKAJI corridor to ease trade. This, he said would be possible through the provision of basic infrastructure that will ease production and transportation of agricultural produce. Tinubu, who spoke at the just concluded Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit, said LAKAJI is an acronym for Lagos–Kano-Jibia corridor.

Represented by a former Lagos State Commissioner of Finance and Executive Director at First Bank, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru, Tinubu said a strategic approach must be adopted where the upper north has the capacity for agricultural production that should be based on strength.

The Kano-Kaduna rail (part of the 2,733km Lagos-Kano rail) has reached over 70% completion as tracks are been laid

This line will energize the Lagos-Kano-Jibia corridor, Nigeria’s busiest transport corridor hauling 30 million tons worth $6 billion forming 36% of Nigeria’s GDP

A great thing to note is that Kano will house the biggest rail station in the country.