The vibrant city of Jos, home to a diverse culture of innovative young Nigerians and an array of enterprising citizens, has today become one of the fastest-growing megacities of the Middle Belt and a bustling metropolis in Africa with huge economic prospects.
On this remarkable visit, Sujimoto Rice Farm Estate is what got us a special invitation from the amiable governor, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, after we penned a letter to the state house, sold our audacious agro-housing opportunity to his excellency, who immediately sighted our dream, keyed into the vision, and without hesitation took action to call for a meeting to discuss the vast opportunities and how we intend to transform Plateau State through the first-of-its-kind Sujimoto Farm Estate project.
Set upon the valley of prosperity with breathtaking scenery and stunning land formations, “J-Town, “the capital city of all westerners, which I had bid farewell to 35 years ago, this salient visitation was what sent me down memory lane to my preteen age while growing up at Eto Baba Road in the early 80’s. Although we didn’t have the privilege to attend the renowned Hillcrest Institute, where anybody and almost every child dreamt of being a part of, today we are seated atop the hills of Plateau discussing opportunities that will be of immense benefit to our dear nation.
My visit to the home of peace and tourism reminded me of the beauty of Plateau State, the serenity of the city, the warm reception of its incredible people, the calmness of its atmosphere, and the general contentment of a Plateau man who understands that every fruit has its own season.
Upon our arrival at the majestic city with the coolest weather, followed by a warm reception at the very busy Yakubu Gowon Airport, I was picked up by my friend and young mentee, the inventor of Ferrari in Nigeria, Jerry Malo, who has today garnered many accolades for promoting Made in Nigeria agro-based machines through Bennie Agro Limited.
As we drove through the city corridor, I couldn’t help but notice a lot of infrastructure development in the state, where his excellency has proven his capacity in less than a year of assuming public office. Before we proceeded to the hotel, I asked to be taken on a tour around notable economic projects within the remarkable city, as it has been over thirty years since I left the beautiful city of Jos.
We visited Leventis as well as the Terminus market, a few of the oldest and biggest markets in Africa today. Filled to the brim with vibrant businessmen and women trading and showcasing their various merchandise, even on a Sunday.
Our visit to the state house was met by one of the most important men, the political entrepreneur Mr. Yayi, who was happy to see us and did all within his capacity to ensure our meeting was worthwhile. He told us the importance of what we came to do and how the executive governor’s vision is in pari passu with making the plateau state the economic capital of the middle belt and ultimately the food basket of the nation.
“Hunger should never be acceptable in a country that’s rich with over 65 million hectares of arable land.”. This was my message. During my meeting with His Excellency, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, the Executive Governor of Plateau State, I emphasised our passion to revolutionise Nigeria’s agriculture sector. We aim to develop the Sujimoto Rice Farm Estate, starting at 30,000 hectares and expanding it to 1 million hectares by 2030.
“Throw a mango seed out of your window on a Plateau land and watch it germinate in two days.” Those were the remarks of his excellency on the fertile land of Plateau State as a divine gift, perfectly suited for agricultural endeavours, which further reaffirmed our commitment to making a positive impact in the region.
This we also reiterated during our closed-door meeting with the political juggernaut and Executive Governor of Plateau State, alongside the exceptional deputy governor, Josephine Chundung Piyo, who welcomed us with unparalleled hospitality and provided us with an exponential amount of reasons why the city of Jos was the best choice for our future audacious projects.
Our vision was crystal clear: an ambitious project set to span over 30,000 hectares of rice farm and a rice mill with a production capacity of approximately 100 tonnes per hour, working 24 hours a day, 330 days a year while processing approximately 800,000 tonnes of rice annually. Sujimoto Farm Estate will be built on an advanced farming system that incorporates housing, farm hospitals, hotels, and markets within an ecosystem, driving agro-tourism, employment opportunities, and affordable housing for Plateau State.
‘Sujimoto, we recognize your capabilities and achievements in real estate development nationwide. We encourage you to bring your expertise here to Jos,’ those were the words of attestation by the amiable governor, who expressed great enthusiasm for the project, stressing the importance of action for the people of Plateau.
Our discussion further highlighted the massive projects the state government of Plateau intends to do within infrastructure, health, real estate, and most importantly, farming, as the state is well regarded for producing some of the most exotic fruits and vegetables in Nigeria, such as strawberries, apples, broccoli, and excellent-quality tomatoes, and now we are taking it to a whole new dimension of mechanised farming and positioning Plateau state as the ‘Brazil of Africa’.
The uniqueness of tomatoes grown in Jos led to its use in describing an elegant woman. No wonder the popular highlife sensation Flavour Nabania ascribed the unique quality of a sophisticated woman to ‘Tomato Jos’.
The next day, in the company of the political entrepreneur Mr. Yayi, we visited various infrastructures, from the Ministry of Works to Nirvana Park. It was evident that Barr. Caleb Mutfwang has demonstrated his position and passion to revamp the entire state and turn it into an economic capital.
We also drove over 102 kilometres to see the oldest and one of the best farms in Nigeria, the Brewery Agro Research Company (BARC farms) in Zallaki community of Bassa Local Government, which has been abandoned for over 40 years.
We could see the beauty of the place; although plagued by a bad road network, the land remains very fertile. We met two good citizens within the premises who still take care of the farm; they recounted how some lawless citizens vandalised the farm, just like the Biblical Esau, who sold their souls for a mesh of pottage with no consideration for posterity.
This is the foundational problem of this nation, where people collaborate to destroy property—something that we should cherish and appreciate. It was very painful to see that what is today the economic capital that brought a lot of economic and social prosperity to the people of Bassa Local Government has been vandalised beyond repair.
I also had the privilege of visiting my great friend, AIG Felix Vwamhi, Rtd., a man of great repute who also advises the state on security and communal reconciliation. It was also an opportunity for me to see how grown-up and beautiful the dogs he had gifted me earlier turned out to be. We then proceeded to have a launch at the Barcadi, the Creme de la Creme restaurant, where I had the best lamb shank I’ve ever had, topped with an excellent reception from the manager and the great ambience of the posh people of Jos
Later in the evening, we set out to serenade our eyes with the beauty of the city, the vibrant metropolis of Jos set on hills of industries, and the economic prosperity. We met with two incredible businessmen, Olisa Omenye and Emmanuel Agbola whom I regard as the FMCG “tycoons of Jos” and the middle belt—young entrepreneurs making a difference across various sectors.
I almost missed my flight, as I had to pay a visit to my very good friend Olisa who has created the Costco of Plateau State, an amazing place where he has over 200 employees all going about their business. We spent some time together, where he shared business insights and the significant impact, they’ve created within the supply chain sector. Distributing different FMCG products, from Coca-Cola to Nestle products, and sending out over 120 trucks every Monday, ensuring they supply directly to distributors and, in some cases, consumers.
We proceeded to the airport, and at the tarmac, lo and behold, we met the executive governor and his envoy flying with us at the local boarding area of Arik Airlines. With modesty, he walked through and greeted everyone, wearing an amazing smile on his face, while asking if everyone had a nice time in Jos.
My trip to the ancient city of Jos, filled with amazing weather and great hospitality, has today expanded our ambition and more than tripled our vision across various sectors, including agriculture and manufacturing. The magnificent Sujimoto Farm Estate project, which will house one of the largest rice mills in Sub-Saharan Africa, will revolutionise rice paddy processing and also enhance self-sufficiency and economic growth for Plateau State, providing over 10,000 jobs for various citizens while contributing to reducing hunger to zero by 2031, making the coal city state an agro-tourism destination and the food basket of the nation.
Dr. Sijibomi Ogundele is the Group Managing Director of Sujimoto Group, the Czar of Luxury Real Estate Development, and the mastermind developer behind the renowned Giuliano. Our other audacious projects, such as the most sophisticated building in Banana Island, LucreziaBySujimoto, the grandiose Sujimoto Twin Tower, the tallest twin towers in Africa; the regal Queen Amina by Sujimoto, a monument to royal affluence; the magnificent high-rise LeonardoBySujimoto; the Sujimoto Farm; an advanced farm estate system that incorporates housing, farm hospitals, hotels, and markets within an ecosystem, creating opportunities for agro-tourism and affordable housing., among other projects that have etched an indelible imprint on Nigeria’s skylines, a testament to Sujimoto’s unrivalled mastery of modern-day engineering.
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