SAPZ project to establish 8 agro-industrial hubs, irrigate 2,300 ha of lands in 7 states

The recently launched Nigeria Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) are expected to facilitate the establishment of eight agro-industrial Processing Hubs, 15 Agricultural Transformation Centers, 2,300 ha of irrigated lands and access roads.

The program is also expected to supply certified agricultural inputs and provision extension services; training and skills development activities for farmers and SMEs.

The Director-General of AfDB Nigeria, Mr Lamin Barrow while speaking at the Strategic Partners and Investors Meeting of the SAPZ said the project has a total investment target of $538 million which would be co-financed by the African Development Bank, the International Fund for Agriculture Development and the Islamic Development Bank.

He said the Nigeria SAPZ Program is the largest among the SAPZs currently being rolled out in 18 African countries, both in terms of size and scope. Phase I, will be implemented in 7 States – Cross River, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ogun and Oyo and the Federal Capital Territory.

Barrow noted that the Strategic Partners and Investors Forum is designed to provide a platform for interactive exchanges for the representatives of key stakeholder groups involved in the SAPZ Program which include the concerned Federal and State Governments, Strategic Partners, Investors and other private sector actors

He said the meeting is to enable in-depth discussions on the implementation modalities for the delivery of SAPZs in Nigeria.

Barrow further stated that the 5-year programme will support policy and institutional development for SAPZs.

“The private sector has a critical role to play in the SAPZs, and we are pleased that several private sector firms, domestic and foreign, have expressed keen interest to be located in these zones.

“The implementation of the SAPZs through a public-private partnership framework is therefore anchored on a clear division of labour among the actors;

“The Public sector: to undertake investments for rehabilitation and construction of basic infrastructures, including Aggregation Centres and Agricultural Transformation Centres to aggregate and process the strategic crops and livestock products, including rice, cassava, maize, groundnut, sesame, tomato, sorghum, soybeans, cocoa, poultry, beef and dairy,” he stated.

The Associate Vice President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Ms Katherine Meighan said Nigeria with over 88 per cent arable land is well positioned as a powerhouse for agro-industrialization across the continent.

She said the involvement of the private sector is critical for the successful implementation of SAPZ using the 4P model.

“The SAPZ journey is a ground-breaking one. Food is our present and food is our future. IFAD IS honoured to partner with the chains.

“We encourage private sector companies and investors here today to join us. Together, we will maximize the SAPZ benefits for small-scale producers and the private sector in line with national priorities.

“Together, we will ensure the continued food security of Nigeria and the resilience of its rural smallholder farmers. Together, we will support Nigeria as the powerhouse that it is for agro-industrialization across the African continent,” Ms Meighan stated.

In his address, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Dr Mohammad Abubakar said the SAPZ program is a dedicated agro-processing area within major food production clusters with desirable ultramodern infrastructure to attract private sector investments into modern agro-processing of locally produced crops, livestock and related agribusiness activities.

He said the preparation to scale up to programme eighteen (18) states in the second phase is also in the pipeline.

The Minister said this and many more will strengthen the Nigeria agribusiness ecosystem to respond more efficiently to the challenges of our time.

“The SAPZ is the flagship for Nigeria’s Agriculture, which entails the development and operation of agro-industrial processing clusters in areas of high-food production across the country to engender the competitiveness in agro-industrial production and processing that is critical to further unlock the potentials of Nigeria’s Agriculture to improve food security, reduce post-harvest losses, create jobs for women and youths as well as create wealth for farming communities and reduce poverty in the country,” he said.

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