One Product, One LGA, One Factory: Nasarawa State Coordinator Visits Salt City in Keana

As part of the Made in Nigeria Project – Industrialize Nigeria Programme, the implementation drive of “One Product, One Local Government, One Factory” continues to gain momentum across states. In furtherance of this strategic initiative, the Nasarawa State Coordinator, Dr. Osalafia Muhammed (Deedat), paid a working visit to the historic Salt City in Keana Local Government Area (LGA) of Nasarawa State.

The visit forms part of ongoing efforts to identify high-potential local resources and structure them into scalable industrial ventures capable of driving employment, value addition, and export competitiveness.

Keana: The Historic Salt City

Keana, widely known as the “Salt City,” has for decades been recognized for its naturally occurring salt deposits and traditional salt extraction activities. The community’s salt production heritage presents a unique opportunity to transform artisanal practices into a modernized, value-driven industrial ecosystem.

Under the Industrialize Nigeria framework, Keana’s salt resource positions it strategically as the designated product for its LGA in alignment with the One Product, One LGA, One Factory model.

Strategic Objectives of the Working Visit

During the visit, Dr. Osalafia Muhammed (Deedat) engaged with local stakeholders, community leaders, and salt producers to assess:

• The scale and sustainability of existing salt extraction

• Production methods and technology gaps

• Packaging and branding potential

• Market access and distribution channels

• Opportunities for mechanization and industrial refinement

The objective is to transition from small-scale manual extraction to a structured salt processing and packaging factory capable of meeting both domestic and industrial demand.

Industrializing Local Resources

The Made in Nigeria Project seeks to reverse Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imports by strengthening domestic production capacity. Salt — a basic but essential commodity — has strong commercial demand across:

• Household consumption

• Food processing industries

• Livestock and agriculture

• Chemical and pharmaceutical sectors

By establishing a processing facility in Keana, Nasarawa State can:

1. Create direct and indirect employment opportunities

2. Improve product quality through standardized refining

3. Increase internally generated revenue (IGR)

4. Enhance local branding and traceability

5. Reduce reliance on imported industrial salt

Community Engagement and Local Empowerment

A critical component of the Industrialize Nigeria Programme is grassroots participation. Dr. Osalafia emphasized that industrial development must be community-driven, inclusive, and sustainable.

The proposed Keana Salt Processing Factory would:

• Formalize local producers into cooperatives

• Provide access to improved extraction technology

• Introduce quality control and regulatory compliance systems

• Facilitate partnerships with investors and development agencies

Such integration ensures that economic gains remain within the local economy while scaling operations to industrial standards.

Aligning with National Economic Goals

The One Product, One LGA, One Factory initiative is designed to:

• Decentralize industrial development

• Promote specialization across local governments

• Stimulate rural industrial clusters

• Strengthen Nigeria’s production base

By leveraging Keana’s natural salt deposits, Nasarawa State is positioned to serve as a model for resource-based industrialization under the Made in Nigeria Project.

The Road Ahead

Following the working visit, next steps are expected to include:

• Technical feasibility assessment

• Investor engagement and funding framework

• Environmental and sustainability review

• Factory site planning and infrastructure mapping

• Capacity building for local producers

The transformation of Keana from a traditional salt extraction community into a structured industrial hub aligns with the broader objective of building a production-driven Nigeria.

Conclusion

Dr. Osalafia Muhammed (Deedat)’s working visit to Keana LGA underscores the seriousness of Nasarawa State’s commitment to the Industrialize Nigeria Programme. By harnessing indigenous resources through the One Product, One Local Government, One Factory model, the Made in Nigeria Project continues to lay the foundation for sustainable, inclusive, and decentralized industrial growth.

Keana’s salt — long a symbol of local heritage — now stands poised to become a catalyst for economic transformation in Nasarawa State and beyond.