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How They Rake In Billions Annually
The North has some of the biggest commercial farming operations in the country, and they range from multi-thousand-hectare mechanized farms to large Agribusiness companies that aggregate thousands of small holders. The region’s climate and land mass make it ideal for grains, legumes, dairy, poultry, and now even horticulture and oil palm to thrive. This week, City People presents some of the biggest names and farms you’ll hear about in the North raking in billions in turn over yearly.
ADMIRAL MURTALA NYAKO/SEBORE FARMS
Owned by Rtrd Admiral Murtala Nyako, former Governor of Adamawa State, Sebore is in Mayo Belwa and is one of the largest mechanized farms in Nigeria. It runs crop production, livestock, and dairy at commercial scale and is often cited as a flagship for Northern Agribusiness. It is one of the biggest mechanised farming projects upnorth, with hundreds of locals and expatriates in its employ. Its produce is sold as far as the neigbouring countries of Cameroon and the Sahel.
ABDULLAHI ADAMU/NAGARI INTEGRATED DAIRY FARM
Reputed to be one of the largest single integrated dairy farms in Africa. It covers 1,200 hectares and has about 7,000 Holstein cattle. It’s operated by Abdullahi Adamu and supplies high-quality milk and dairy products across the region.
ANADARIYA FARMS/USMAN DANTATA
Founded in the 1960s by Alhaji Usman Sanusi Dantata, now led by Usman Dantata Jr. Located in Tiga, Bebeji, Kano, it’s a massive poultry operation producing over 3,000 broilers weekly and is considered one of the most viable farms in the country.
BABBAN GONA/KOLA MASHA
Founded in 2012 by Kola Masha. Babban Gona works as a social enterprise that supports small holder farmers to become more profitable. It started with 100 members in Kaduna and now operates in 15 states including Abuja, Adamawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Bauchi, Plateau and Jigawa, with support for over 110,000 smallholder farmers. It’s partly owned by the farmers it serves, while Masha oversees its running. Farmer-owned social enterprise operating across Kaduna, Kano and other Northern states. At its peak it was the single largest maize-producing entity in Africa, supporting farmers on 170,000 acres and deploying over $200M in financing. Known for agronomy training, inputs, storage, and market access for smallholders.
TIMI OKE/AGROEKNOR
Co-founded by Timi Oke. The company focuses on export-driven value chains, especially dried hibiscus flowers to Asia, Europe and North America. It runs farmer education and empowerment projects in Northern Nigeria to improve yields and supply sustainability.
THRIVEAGRIC
Co-founded by Uka Eje. Though tech-enabled and operating across Nigeria, ThriveAgric has a strong footprint in the North, financing inputs, mechanization and market access for thousands of farmers through a digitized supply chain.
NORRENBERGER
Financial/agribusiness group that secured federal approval to cultivate 1,000 hectares of arable land in Kano State. Investment of over N5 billion with focus on food security and job creation.
KONIRY ENTERPRISES NIGERIA LIMITED
Based in Kaduna. Works as an aggregation hub linking smallholder farmers to large industrial buyers. Focuses on standardizing, logistics, and quality control for grains.
ALHAJI UMAR MUHAMMAD
Runs “City of Piggen & Goat” and described as one of Northern Nigeria’s biggest integrated livestock farms. Specializes in Kalahari Red goats, rabbits, and exotic birds. His turn around runs into billions yearly.
IBRAHIM SHEHU- DOGON DAWA, BIRNIN GWARI LGA
Farms 20 hectares in rotation with maize, sorghum, groundnut and soyabeans. Described as the richest man in Dogon Dawa today. He owns lorries, tractors, threshing machine and the biggest provision store in town and employs hundreds of people on his farm business.
ROTIMI WILLIAMS
Rotimi Williams, the popular Nigerian journalist-turned-entrepreneur who owns Kereksuk Rice Farm (the second-largest commercial rice farm in Nigeria by land size), is estimated to have a net worth of around $110 million about (N150 billion).
ABDULLAHI DALHATU
A Kaduna-based commercial farmer known for his trailblazing grape farm and cultivating fruits like pawpaw and jackfruit for export in exchange for Forex.
UG SAMUEL
Widely known as the “king agronomist” of Northern Nigeria, he operates an agribusiness specializing in greenhouse and open field vegetable cultivation.
ALIKO DANGOTE
Through Dangote Group, he operates massive commercial farming, sugar out-grower, and rice processing schemes across Northern states like Jigawa and Kano. No doubt his business delivers billions yearly.
ALHAJI SANI DANGOTE
The late Vice President of the Dangote Group, who spearheaded major commercial Agricultural investments, including massive tomato and rice estates in Kadawa, Kano State.
TOMATO JOS
An Agribusiness based in Kaduna State that works directly with local farming communities to produce high-quality tomatoes and other crops for the local production of puree and exports.
ABDULLAHI BASHIR HASKE
Adamawa’s 2nd richest man has a big Agri-business in his native Ganye that produces legumes, millets and poultry products for local consumption and exports through his AA&R Investment Group.
Wole Alakija
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