Following the launch of the Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme, it has been confirmed that Nigeria can, in less than ten years defeat food insecurity, while radically improving export earnings from agriculture, creating millions of lucrative agro-industrial jobs and opportunities for its citizens.
Vice president of Nigeria, Prof, Yemi Osinbajo made this assertion on Monday when he represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the Official Launch of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones in Nigeria, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja.
According to a statement by his media aide, Laolu Akande, Prof. Osinbajo noted that the launch of the SAPZ programme heralded a ‘profoundly important moment in our agricultural odyssey.’
‘If the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones programme delivers on its objectives and we have no doubt that it will, then we would in less than a decade deal a fatal blow to food insecurity, create millions of good paying agro-industrial jobs and opportunities and radically improve export earnings from agriculture,’ the vice president stated.
According to him, the Programme was ‘a clear plan for the industrialisation of agriculture, the deliberate development of value chains in the crops farmers grow and a pathway to net exportation of their produce.’
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While highlighting the significance of the SAPZ programme to Nigeria, the Vice President noted that “the programme is now a critical component of our agricultural strategy, which is to accelerate the industrialization of our agricultural sector with the objective of being ahead of our constraints in providing food, nutrition and wealth for the largest population in our continent.”
‘The Nigeria Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones programme (The SAPZ programme) is a government-enabled and private sector-led initiative that will to mobilize private sector investment to develop value chains for selected strategic crops and livestock in the Participating States
The vice president, who noted that the SAPZ programme was recently approved by the Federal Executive Council, stated that the programme ‘is a major cross-cutting value chain investment effort driven by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in alignment with the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy of the federal government to incentivise agro-industrialisation for private sector development.
‘The SAPZ programme is a five-year programme, being implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), state governments and private investors, in seven participating states (Kano, Imo, Kaduna, Cross River, Kwara, Oyo and Ogun) and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).’
In the first phase, the VP noted that the programme is expected to achieve significant milestones, including reducing the country’s current food import bill through Import Substitution, boosting revenue from agricultural exports, creating wealth for rural farming communities, and creating new sustainable jobs, especially for women and youths.