AA&R Investment Group has positioned its subsidiaries to take advantage of the opportunities available in the African Continental Free Trade Area, as part of an overall bid to deepen investment in agribusiness, energy, logistics, and information technology.
A statement issued by the firm stated that the local holding company, led by Abdullahi Haske, has evolved into a multi-industry group seeking to reduce Nigeria’s import dependency and develop robust local value chains.
The firm views AfCFTA as a critical platform for expanding its businesses outside African borders and accelerating intra-continental trade.
While the International Monetary Fund had earlier anticipated Nigeria’s economy to rise by 3.4 per cent in 2025, AA&R pointed out that the prospect emphasised the necessity of private sector-led programmes to release long-term development.
“Our strategy is simple: invest in sectors that tackle real problems while creating opportunities for communities in a collaborative manner,” Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the firm, Oladipo Williams, said.
“Nigeria’s economy has vast unseen potential, but bold, home-grown solutions are needed to unlock it.”
Some of AA&R’s hallmark initiatives are the Kaiama Cassava Initiative and Demsa Integrated Rice Project, which connect smallholder farmers to processing facilities and organised markets. The initiatives aim to enhance food security, raise rural incomes, and reduce reliance on imported staple food.
Outside the agricultural domain, the organisation diversified into oil and gas, shipping, aviation, and technology, building sustainable ventures that generate employment and attract long-term capital.
“Our subsidiaries are not independent businesses-they’re all part of a greater economic jigsaw puzzle that’s interconnected,” Williams stated.
All investments, he continued, were meant to build economic resilience in Nigeria through the promotion of local value chains and the use of technology to increase competitiveness.
Williams also emphasised the importance of human capital growth and community investment, noting that the informal sector in Nigeria produces over half of the country’s GDP. Formalisation of farming and small businesses, AA&R aims to harness productivity and stimulate wealth creation in underpenetrated markets.
Since Nigeria is to become the third most populated country by 2050, AA&R stated its growth strategy aligned with the need for scalable industrial capacity and infrastructure.
The company considers its approach as part of a broader strategy to develop indigenous businesses into continental giants under AfCFTA and drive long-term economic stability.
