The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) Programme in Kano State has established a Quarterly Feedback Forum to strengthen communication, accountability and collaboration with beneficiaries and stakeholders.
The State Programme Coordinator of SAPZ, Aminu Iliyasu, disclosed this on Wednesday in Kano during the inauguration of the feedback forum for beneficiaries.
Iliyasu said the initiative was designed to create a structured platform where beneficiaries could share experiences, provide feedback on programme activities, identify challenges and suggest practical solutions.
He said beneficiaries were not merely recipients of SAPZ interventions but important partners whose perspectives and experiences were essential to improving programme implementation.
“The purpose of this quarterly feedback forum is to create a structured platform where beneficiaries can share their experiences, provide honest feedback on SAPZ activities, identify challenges, and propose practical solutions.
“We want to hear from you about what is working well, what needs improvement, the challenges you are facing, and how, together, we can address these challenges,” he said.
The coordinator explained that the forum was not only about reporting achievements but also about listening, learning and taking corrective measures where necessary.
He added that the programme would continue to support farmers, agro-processors, traders, women and youth across participating Local Government Areas through various interventions.
“Challenges may arise in areas such as access to inputs, capacity building, infrastructure, market linkages, processing, communication and beneficiary engagement.
“We encourage everyone to use this platform constructively and freely. Your feedback will be treated as an important contribution towards improving programme delivery,” Iliyasu said.
He emphasised that effective feedback required a two-way communication process, where beneficiaries could raise concerns while the programme provided clarifications and identified possible solutions.
According to him, the establishment of the forum aligns with SAPZ’s commitment to transparency, accountability, inclusion and stakeholder participation.
“When beneficiaries are given the opportunity to participate meaningfully in decision-making and programme review, interventions become more responsive, sustainable and impactful,” he said.
Iliyasu urged members of the SAPZ Multi-Stakeholder Agribusiness Forum, beneficiary representatives and other stakeholders to actively participate and ensure that the voices of farmers, women, youth, agro-processors and traders were represented.
He called on stakeholders to focus on solutions rather than only identifying challenges, saying the feedback generated would assist the SAPZ State Programme Implementation Unit (SPIU) in planning, monitoring and decision-making.
“The success of SAPZ in Kano State is a shared responsibility. Government, development partners, implementing institutions, private sector actors, farmer organisations and beneficiaries all have important roles to play,” he said.
He expressed appreciation to stakeholders for their commitment and urged them to continue working together to achieve the objectives of the programme.
Participants who spoke with reporters commended the establishment of the forum, describing it as a timely initiative that would enhance interaction between beneficiaries and programme managers.
Aliyu Sani, a participant, said the platform would enable farmers, agro-processors and other stakeholders to communicate their challenges directly and contribute to improving the implementation of SAPZ interventions across Kano State.
On her part, another participant, Amina Mustafa, urged the programme managers to sustain the engagement and ensure that feedback from beneficiaries was properly considered in future planning and decision-making.
The forum was attended by representatives of farmer organisations, agro-processors, traders, relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), members of the SAPZ State Programme Implementation Unit and media organisations.
