Dangote Rice Mill in Jigawa Listed as Operational as Video Shows Processing

A video shared on X has drawn renewed attention to Dangote Group's rice business, showing what appears to be active rice processing at one of its facilities. The footage comes 12 years after Aliko Dangote committed $1 billion to commercial rice farming and processing across Nigeria.

The Jigawa State Government investment tracker, updated on September 10, 2026, now lists the Dangote Rice Mill in Hadin as operational. It records a processing capacity of 32 tonnes per hour, equivalent to roughly 280,000 tonnes annually. The facility is linked to commercial cultivation schemes around Hadejia and Kafin Hausa.

From $1bn pledge to outgrower scheme

Dangote Group signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federal Government in August 2014 to invest $1 billion in integrated rice farming and milling across Jigawa, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara and Edo states. Two years later, the company launched an 8,000-hectare rice outgrower scheme in Hadejia, Jigawa State. Participating farmers received improved seeds, fertilisers and technical support, and the company committed to buying their harvested paddy for processing.

By February 2017, the outgrower scheme had expanded to 25,000 hectares across 14 states. Dangote set a target of 225,000 metric tonnes of milled rice by the end of that year, with an ambition of reaching one million tonnes annually. Construction announcements followed over several years without matching production results.

Plant foundation and paddy supply deals

Dangote laid the foundation for a processing plant in Hadin, Kaugama Local Government Area of Jigawa State, in March 2018. The facility was initially designed to handle 16 tonnes of paddy per hour.

In July 2025, Dangote said Niger State had joined Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano and Nasarawa as locations with rice mills under construction. By November 2025, the group outlined plans for mills across five states with a combined annual processing capacity of 1.5 million tonnes.

To secure raw materials, Dangote Rice Limited signed a N1.8 trillion paddy rice supply agreement with Niger Foods Security Systems and Logistics Company in July 2025. The 10-year deal requires Niger State to develop 25,000 hectares of commercial rice farms and support 50,000 local farmers. In May 2026, Dangote confirmed the company had committed to purchasing one million metric tonnes of paddy rice from Niger Foods over the life of that agreement.

The Jigawa listing marks a shift from previous announcements that continued to describe the mills as being under construction. However, the stated capacity reflects what the facility can process, not its current output or utilisation rate. The location, date and scale of the video on X have not been independently confirmed.

What it means for rice prices

Rice prices in Lagos have recorded fresh changes. Data for October shows a 50kg bag of imported long-grain rice sells for N53,375, compared with its September average of N53,281.25. That is an increase of N93.75. Locally manufactured rice maintained its previous price. A working Dangote mill in Jigawa could add local processing capacity, but the tracker does not show current output.