… says zone excluded from $530m SAPZ programme, seek immediate inclusion
Senators and members of the House of Representatives from the North-East geopolitical zone on Thursday raised concerns over what they consider to be the “short-changing” of the zone by the administration of President Bola Tinubu in the execution of major projects, political appointments and other decisions.
The lawmakers under the umbrella body of the North-East caucus appealed to the President to review some of the actions of his administration by giving fair representation to the North-East, which comprises of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe states.
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This was disclosed during a press conference they addressed at the National Assembly in Abuja.
The legislators raised their voices a few days after Senator Ali Ndume, a member of the caucus, complained of the alleged “lopsided” appointments made by the Tinubu administration since 2023, saying that they did not reflect the Federal Character Principle enshrined in Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution.
They cited the latest case of alleged exclusion by the government as the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ), a $530million agriculture development programme jointly funded by the Federal Government, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were picked for the programme.
The North-West and South-West have two processing zones each – Kaduna, Kano, Ogun, and Oyo states. The South-South, South-East and North-Central have one processing zone each.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who incidentally is from the zone, had inaugurated the first phase of the programme in Kaduna on April 8.
The caucus had summoned an emergency meeting on Thursday, following which the caucus leader, Senator Danjuma Goje, gave the position of the group.
Goje observed that in spite of the agricultural potential of the zone, being the largest producer of livestock and other food products, it was excluded from the SAPZ.
The caucus stated, “SAPZs aim to transform Nigeria’s agriculture landscape through innovation, private-sector investments, and strategic public partnerships.
“The zones are designed to create agro-industrial hubs that integrate farmers with processors, reduce post-harvest losses and expand rural economic opportunities.
“Geographically, the North-East is the largest geopolitical zone in the nation, covering nearly one-third of Nigeria’s total area of 272,451 km2 (105,194sq mi). Our potential in all aspects of the agricultural sector cannot be overemphasised.
“Our region, the North-East, is known for its enormous livestock and crop growth, contributing significantly to our country’s economic well-being and Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“It is against this backdrop that we are extremely worried that our zone is excluded from the SAPZ programme, regarded as a ‘presidential priority project’ and a direct response to the longstanding challenges facing Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, including poor infrastructure, limited access to markets, and low-value addition.”
Although the caucus commended Tinubu for making the programme a reality, it kicked against exclusion of the North-East from the list of the beneficiaries.
It appealed for the “immediate inclusion” of the North-East in the SAPZ, noting, “This is not only for fairness and inclusivity but for the actualisation of the lofty ideals of the present administration to industrialise Nigeria’s agricultural sector and create sustainable jobs in the country.”
Goje clarified that the caucus was not being confrontational, but rather asking that what was due to the zone should be given to it.
“We are appealing to Mr President. In my last presentation, on the issue of the roads, I also appealed to Mr President. We are not confrontational. We are only saying what we believe is true to us,” he added.
Also speaking, the member representing Chibok, Damboa/Goza Federal Constituency of Borno State, Hon. Ahmed Jaha, said the North-East, having been the “poorest” in the country, should ordinarily take the center stage in major government programmes and projects.
He said, “So, if there is a single zone, as far as this country is concerned, that should be given the attention, the required attention, particularly with regards to the issue of development, and so on and so forth, it’s our zone.
“In other words, the stability of the North-east sub-region is very, very critical and important to the stability of the remaining five geopolitical zones in the country.
“So, this is why whenever we see where we are being shortchanged, there is a need for us to draw the attention of the policy makers that we still exist as human beings and we deserve to be treated as such.”
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