FG Seeks Stronger Stakeholder Participation In Agro-Processing Zones
The Federal Government (FG) has called on farmers, agribusinesses, financial institutions, research organisations, development partners and others to actively support the implementation of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme.
It said stronger stakeholder collaboration was critical to strengthening agricultural value chains, promoting agro-industrial development, enhancing food security and creating jobs.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja at the SAPZ Phase One Mid-Term Review Workshop.
Ogunbiyi described SAPZ as a strategic agribusiness model designed to support Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda through agriculture.
According to him, the programme seeks to transform agriculture into a modern, competitive and wealth-creating sector capable of driving economic growth, creating jobs, improving food security and boosting export earnings.
He said the initiative was expected to reduce post-harvest losses from 45 per cent to 20 per cent while significantly increasing the productivity of key staple crops.
The permanent secretary added that the programme could contribute substantial volumes of food to the nation’s food basket, create about 500,000 direct and indirect jobs across participating locations and generate up to 2.5 million temporary jobs through infrastructure development and related services.
He described SAPZ as one of the Federal Government’s most strategic interventions for agricultural transformation, aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on food security, industrialisation, economic diversification, job creation and rural development.
According to him, the programme is designed to address longstanding challenges in the sector, including weak links between farmers and markets, inadequate processing infrastructure, high post-harvest losses and limited value addition.
“The initiative was conceived to address these bottlenecks through integrated agro-industrial hubs that connect production, processing, storage, logistics and marketing systems within designated economic zones,” he said.
Ogunbiyi, however, acknowledged challenges affecting implementation of the first phase of the programme in seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He identified low disbursement rates, delays in approvals, procurement bottlenecks and the slow pace of infrastructure development as major constraints.
“These challenges have the potential to derail progress, but I am confident that with collective determination we will find solutions and deliver results,” he said.
The permanent secretary said the workshop was convened to review implementation progress, identify challenges and develop strategies for accelerated execution of the programme.
He added that it would also help align efforts across all levels of government and strengthen collaboration with development partners to ensure the programme delivers tangible benefits to rural communities.
Earlier, the National Programme Coordinator of SAPZ, Dr Kabir Yusuf, described the initiative as a comprehensive agro-industrialisation programme designed to attract private-sector investment in value-added agro-processing.
Yusuf said the programme would improve food security, create jobs, reduce import dependence, alleviate rural poverty and increase agriculture’s contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He said the overall objective was to develop agro-industrial zones in high food-producing areas capable of supplying domestic markets and generating export surpluses.
According to him, the programme also seeks to empower smallholder farmers, agro-processors, traders and community-based service providers, particularly women and youths, to take advantage of market opportunities created by the zones.
Yusuf said SAPZ is being implemented by the Federal Government in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and participating state governments.
He said the first phase is being implemented in Cross River, Imo, Ogun, Oyo, Kaduna, Kano and Kwara states, as well as the FCT.
According to him, the phase is intended to serve as a pilot, after which the programme will be expanded to other states based on expressions of interest.
Yusuf said progress recorded so far included institutional strengthening, infrastructure planning, stakeholder engagement, implementation of environmental and social safeguards, and private-sector mobilisation.
“These achievements provide a strong foundation for the next phase of implementation,” he said. Konga CEO Advocates for Stablecoins to Accelerate Cross-Border African Trade
