Regional Planning and Management of Industrial Corridor Development in Niger State

Industrial corridor development is an increasingly recognized regional planning strategy for stimulating economic transformation, attracting investment, and creating employment outside major metropolitan centers. This study examines regional planning and management approaches to industrial corridor development in Niger State, focusing on the Bida-Minna industrial corridor and its potential as a driver of economic growth in North Central Nigeria. A professional application research design combining document review with institutional analysis was employed. Planning and economic development documents from the Niger State Planning Commission, Niger State Ministry of Industry, and Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment were reviewed for corridor development provisions. Fourteen regional planning practitioners and economic development managers participated in semi-structured interviews. Findings are expected to reveal fragmented approaches to corridor planning, absence of a dedicated corridor management authority, weak linkages between industrial land allocation and infrastructure provision commitments, and limited integration of corridor development into Niger State's regional development plan. The study benchmarks the Bida-Minna corridor planning approach against best practices from comparable African corridor initiatives. Recommendations address establishment of a dedicated corridor development management entity, development of a binding corridor spatial development framework, investment in strategic infrastructure along the corridor, and creation of land banking mechanisms to secure sites for future industrial development within corridor boundaries. Keywords: Industrial corridor, Regional planning, Niger State, Economic development, Corridor management.