Billionaire Raj Gupta to Build One of Africa’s Largest Solar-Powered Steel Plants in Nigeria – Report
Indian Billionaire and African Industries Group (AIG) Chairman Raj Gupta has secured 500 hectares of land in Nigeria’s Niger State to build what could become sub-Saharan Africa’s largest solar-powered steel manufacturing facility, in a significant investment in the country’s industrial and renewable energy sectors.
The land was allocated to Abuja Steel Mills Limited, an AIG subsidiary, for the development of an integrated steel manufacturing complex, a dedicated utility-scale solar power plant and a new industrial park. The project is designed to reduce manufacturers’ dependence on Nigeria’s unreliable electricity grid while supporting cleaner industrial production.
Gupta described the allocation as a milestone, saying the proposed solar installation could become the largest in Nigeria and potentially the biggest dedicated to powering a steel plant anywhere in West Africa or sub-Saharan Africa, according to a Business Insider report.
The investment forms part of Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago’s strategy to transform the state into one of Nigeria’s leading industrial hubs.
The state plans to designate an additional 200,000 hectares for industrial development stretching towards neighbouring Kaduna State. The expansion will leverage the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, abundant solar resources and major hydropower assets, including the Kainji, Jebba, Shiroro and Zungeru dams.
Nigeria’s Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, said the project reflected African Industries Group’s growth from a modest steel producer into one of West Africa’s largest industrial manufacturers — a company that now employs about 10,000 people across its operations.
Audu also linked the investment to the Federal Government’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030, identifying steel production as a key driver of industrialisation, infrastructure development and economic diversification.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment John Enoh said the Abuja Steel Mills project would help reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported steel while creating jobs and building domestic manufacturing capacity.
Faounded over five decades ago, African Industries Group has grown into one of Nigeria’s largest industrial groups, operating more than 30 manufacturing plants across steel, mining, chemicals, glass and real estate.
Through Abuja Steel Mills, the group is moving into utility-scale renewable energy by integrating solar power into heavy industrial production. The project would be among the first on the continent to combine steel manufacturing at scale with solar power — and a test of whether that model can work for energy-intensive industries across Africa.
