State governments participating in the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) project have pledged their commitment to the speedy and effective implementation of the initiative. The states involved include Cross River, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ogun, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The commitments were made during separate interviews with journalists at the SAPZ Phase 1 High-Level Implementation Acceleration Dialogue and States Steering/Technical Committee Workshop held on Wednesday in Abuja.
SAPZ is an inclusive agro-industrialisation programme aimed at creating integrated, agriculturally focused platforms to drive private sector investment in value-added agro-processing. The project seeks to unlock opportunities in food security, job creation, import substitution, and rural poverty reduction. It is government-enabled and private sector-driven, with key components such as infrastructure development, agro-industrial hub management, agricultural productivity enhancement, and policy/institutional coordination.
Kaduna State’s Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Works, Housing, and Transportation, Mr. Murtala Dabo, noted that the state is fully engaged in the SAPZ initiative to accelerate its industrial development. He identified maize, tomatoes, and ginger as priority value chains. Dabo emphasized the potential for ginger to attract foreign exchange, highlighting how the programme could support primary producers, boost productivity, and drive industrialisation through value chain investment.
“We import many items that should not be imported. With SAPZ, smallholder farmers will see improved yields and productivity. This initiative will add value along the entire value chain, reducing the nation’s import bills and benefiting the economy and farmers alike,” he explained.
Similarly, Mr. Sadi Ibrahim, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kano State, affirmed Kano’s commitment to meeting the project’s goals within the set timeframe. He pledged to mobilise resources and cut through bureaucratic red tape to ensure timely procurement and project implementation.
“This workshop has motivated us to speed up the implementation of our programmes. We will cut bureaucracy to ensure that the targets are met quickly,” he said.
Imo State’s Commissioner for Agricultural and Food Security, Mr. Cosmas Maduba, assured that his state would maximise SAPZ’s opportunities. Although the project started in Imo in 2019, it faced several challenges, including a lack of political will and understanding of the project’s benefits, as well as issues related to location and insecurity.
“There are vast opportunities in agriculture, especially in Africa’s climate. But to truly benefit, we need adequate financial support and a better approach to managing our resources,” Maduba remarked.
In Cross River State, SAPZ is expected to boost production through investments in processing facilities. Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Mr. Johnson Ebokpo, highlighted cocoa, rice, and cassava as priority value chains for the state.
“The SAPZ framework is timely and will help us scale up production. With the guidelines in place, we are now moving towards implementation. This hub will speed up production and help us generate revenue from value-added products,” he said.
Oyo State’s Executive Adviser on Agribusiness, Dr. Debo Akande, praised the SAPZ initiative, underscoring its importance in advancing agricultural industrialisation. He stressed the need to focus on the business aspect of agriculture to achieve more value and support import substitution.
“The best way to achieve agricultural value and import substitution is through agricultural industrialisation, and SAPZ is designed to help us do just that,” Akande stated.
The SAPZ initiative continues to gain momentum as state governments across Nigeria accelerate their efforts to ensure its successful implementation, aiming to boost the agricultural sector and drive economic growth.
