*Will create jobs, slash imports, boost naira – Adesina
WorldStage Newsonline– The construction of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) across Nigeria is a a game changer that will diversify the nation’s economy, tackle rural unemployment, empower farmers and the youth population, according to Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
Speaking when he performed the groundbreaking ceremony of SAPZ in Calabar, the River State Capital, the Vice-President described the project as “a game changer” that aligns with the President Bola Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the commencement of the construction of the SAPZ in Calabar, Cross River, was part of a nationwide drive to transform the agricultural sector and stimulate inclusive economic growth across Nigeria.
“There is no intervention more practical in our dream of a nation where the potential of agriculture is maximised than what’s brought us together today.
” This isn’t just a project—it’s a bold vision to transform Nigeria’s agricultural value chain,” Shettima said.
” The SAPZ initiative, supported with counterpart funding from development partners and the private sector, is designed to address challenges that have long hindered the growth of Nigeria’s agricultural economy.
” This includes inadequate processing infrastructure, limited access to markets, and rural unemployment.
“For far too long, our farmers have contended with poor infrastructure, lack of access to finance, and inadequate processing facilities.
” This zone is designed to confront those challenges head-on by creating an ecosystem where innovation, investment, and collaboration thrive,” he noted.
Shettima explained that the Calabar SAPZ would serve as a hub for agro-processing and storage, providing farmers and agripreneurs with critical infrastructure to scale their operations and tap into local and international markets.
“This is where farmers will meet with private investors, where ideas will turn into enterprise, and where our youth will find meaningful opportunities,” he said.
He disclosed that the Tinubu administration has classified SAPZ as a priority programme in Nigeria’s quest for food security, with plans to institutionalise it as a government agency for agricultural industrialisation across the 36 states.
“These zones will generate thousands of jobs. They will create opportunities for young people, empower them with skills and knowledge to engage in meaningful work and help them contribute positively to the economy,” he stated.
Shettima also expressed gratitude to key international development partners, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), for their support and belief in Nigeria’s vision.
The Vice-President commended Gov. Bassey Otu of the state for his collaboration, describing him as “a critical foundation for the success of this intervention and a great ally in development.”
Earlier, Otu said the programme marked a watershed in the ongoing bid by his administration to establish the renewable resource base of the state through the full utilisation of agriculture and its multiple value chain.
Otu pointed out that in Cross River the establishment of a cluster of smallholder farmers in cash crops such as rice, cassava, millet, and cocoa across the state is the right step towards the agro-industrial revolution.
He said the paradigm shift from a non-renewable to a renewable resource base also holds the key to the prosperity of many nations, hence the imperative to join the league of sub-nationals in Nigeria that have adopted agriculture as the mainstay of their economy.
“The deliverables of the envisaged projects are food security, diversification of the state economy towards export-oriented trajectory and increase in the State’s GDP.
” When these projects are fully operational there is an expected robust collaboration with reputable agro-based processing institutes, universities and the rest, aimed at accelerating breakthroughs in many agro-industrial production.”
Also, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, said the programme would transform the agricultural production and agro-investment landscape in Nigeria under the Renewed Hope Agenda of Tinubu.
Kyari thanked the Vice-President for his leadership and political backing at the highest level in the implementation of the SAPZ in Nigeria.
He also commended the Governor of Cross River for his commitment to ensuring that the state is among the front-runners that would commence the construction of their Agro-Industrial Processing Hub.
In his remark, President of AfDB, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, reiterated the bank’s pledge to mobilise $2.2 billion to execute the SAPZ project in 28 states across Nigeria.
Adesina observed that Cross River has a significant role to play in Nigeria’s agricultural transformation because of the vast production of cocoa, cassava, rice and banana, saying Obudu Cattle Ranch alone can turn the state into a huge livestock producer.
He also acknowledged that the state is ideal for SAPZ because it has an export processing zone, ports facility, and export handling capabilities.
He added that the SAPZ in Calabar can be linked to the seaport for the transportation of processed agricultural commodities to the export market in neighbouring countries, including Cameroon.
“The African Development Bank, as you know, is spearheading this together with our partners, which include the Islamic Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and we have put together $934 million from the African Development Bank, with core financing of $938 million from these partners.
“The first phase of SAPZ in Nigeria will be in eight states of Cross River, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Oyo, Ogun, Kwara, Imo and the Federal Capital Territory. We are delighted with our partnership with the Islamic Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
“We have put together a financing package of $510 million to make this work. We expect, in the second phase of this, to mobilise $2.2 billion to be able to work for 28 states across the federation with several partners,” the AfDB President said.
WILL CREATE JOBS, SLASH IMPORTS, BOOST NAIRA
Dr Akinwumi Adesina, the African Development Bank’s President, says implementation of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) in Nigeria will reduce food imports, strengthen the Naira, and generate millions of jobs.
Adesina stated this on Thursday in Calabar, Cross River, at the groundbreaking of the SAPZ project on Thursday in Calabar.
He described it as a transformative initiative that would unlock the economic potential of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
The AfDB president said for Nigeria to thrive, its rural areas must be awakened .
He said the country should not be importing food with its abundant arable land, cheap labour, and vast agroecological zones.
Nigeria should be completely self-sufficient in food and a significant exporter of food and agricultural commodities.
“By taking advantage of the special agro-industrial processing zones, Nigeria will now have the infrastructure and industrial platform to transform all its food and agricultural commodities.
“What a day we are celebrating today. The special agro-industrial processing zones will reduce food imports, conserve foreign exchange, expand production and processing of food and agricultural commodities.
“It will strengthen the Naira, and attract significant private investment in agricultural value chains.
“The SAPCs will also revive and transform rural economies and create millions of jobs,” he said
Adesina commended the Federal Government for its commitment and strong politicalwill under President Bola Tinubu, which he said had been pivotal to the rollout of the zones across multiple states.
He also lauded Vice President Kashim Shettima, for his consistent presence and unwavering support of the project.
“You have been the promoter, the facilitator, and the enabler of this vision. Your commitment speaks volumes,” he said.
The AfDB president reiterated that a financing package of $510 million had been secured for the first phase of the SAPZ programme in eight states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said plans were underway to expand to 28 states in the second phase, backed by $2.2 billion from development partners.
Cross River State Governor, Sen. Bassey Otu, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to harnessing the state’s vast agricultural potential to drive economic diversification and job creation.
“Our plan is to move from a non-renewable resource base to a sustainable agricultural economy that brings prosperity to every part of Cross River State,” Otu said.
He said the state would leverage its comparative advantage in the production of cocoa, palm oil, rice, and banana.
He said the state would also take advantage of its infrastructure, including the proposed Bakassi Deep Sea Port, Obudu Cargo Airport, and Calabar-Budu rail line, to support agro-industrialisation.
Vice President Shettima, in his remarks, reaffirmed the administration’s resolve to implement policies that would ensure food security, economic growth, and inclusive development.
Other dignitaries at the event included the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, other government officials, senior officials from the AfDB and development partners and stakeholders.
The SAPZ programme is spearheaded by the AfDB in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the government.
