No fewer than 40 Egyptian industrialists, manufacturers, agribusinesses, mining operators and investors have expressed interest in investing in various sectors of the Ekiti State economy, with the emerging investment pipeline estimated at up to $500m.

The Investment opportunities were identified during the Ekiti-Egypt Industrial Investment Mission held in Cairo, Egypt, from July 24 to 28, 2026.

The mission, funded by the Ekiti State Government and organised by Welcome2Africa International, was part of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration’s efforts to attract productive capital, create jobs and promote the industrial processing of the state’s agricultural and mineral resources.

The state government said the projects under consideration could attract more than $200m in near- to medium-term investments, with the broader pipeline potentially reaching $500m as they mature, while creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

Major opportunities include commercial maize and soybean farming estimated at $2m to $5m; certified seed production valued at $1m to $3m; and a $75m to $150m integrated agro-industrial project covering wet-corn milling, starch, feed manufacturing, poultry, and commercial farming.

Other proposals include a $25m to $60m large-scale maize and sesame farming project and a $20m cassava and maize processing joint venture, all aimed at strengthening Ekiti’s agricultural value chains.

The mining and textile sectors are also attracting significant interest, with a quarrying and dimension-stone operator considering $20m to $50m for granite and marble development, while an international mining and chemicals operator is exploring gold and lithium projects worth $50m to $150m or more, subject to reserve confirmation.

A major textile manufacturer is equally considering a $30m to $80m investment in Ekiti, with the potential to create between 1,000 and 3,000 direct jobs and 3,000 to 7,000 indirect jobs.

Speaking on the investment drive, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Ebenezer Boluwade, said the state was focused on developing agricultural value chains that would provide farmers with reliable markets and processors with the raw materials required for production.

Boluwade said: “We want to build agricultural value chains where farmers have reliable markets, processors have access to the volumes and quality they require, and more of the value created from our agricultural resources remains within Ekiti.”

The founder of Welcome2Africa International, Bamidele Seun Owoola, said the Cairo mission had demonstrated the scale of international interest that could be mobilised around Ekiti’s industrial opportunities.

“We are moving beyond general investment promotion into conversations about hectares, factories, processing plants, joint ventures, mining assets, off-take and market access. The priority now is converting that interest into capital deployed and businesses operating within Ekiti,” Owoola said.

She added that Egypt was only one of the investment corridors being explored for Ekiti, noting that the state’s investment proposition would also be taken to industrialists, investors and strategic partners across the Gulf, Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa.

The Commissioner for Investment, Trade and Industry, Omotayo Adeola, said that the government was now focused on turning investors’ expressions of interest into actual projects.

“Our focus now is conversion; moving from Expressions of Interest to site visits, commercial agreements, capital deployment, factories and jobs. Ekiti is open to serious industrialists and investors from Egypt and across the world who are prepared to build productive businesses within the State”.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Office of Transformation and Service Delivery, Dr. John Moyo Ekundayo, said the success of the investment drive would be determined by its impact on the economy.

He said: “The true measure of these engagements will be their impact on the ground, including stronger businesses, employment, increased productivity and new economic activity.” (The Nation)