By Salif Atojoko

Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, says the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) is central to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda on food security agro-industrialisation and inclusive economic growth.

The minister made the remark at the opening session of a two-day SAPZ1 Implementation Acceleration Dialogue and States Steering/Technical Committee Workshop on Monday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that SAPZ is a an agro-industrialisation programme designed to create integrated, agriculturally focused platforms to accelerate private sector investment in value-added agro-processing.

The core objective of the programme is to unlock opportunities for improved food security, job creation, import substitution, rural poverty reduction and increased contribution of agriculture to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

Kyari said the objective of the two-day workshop was to deliberate on the existing challenges and forge an accelerated implementation plan that would enable stakeholders achieve President Tinubu’s food security agenda.

“The strategic focus is to set modalities for increased production of cassava, rice, maize, cocoa, tomatoes and livestock amongst the designated SAPZ priority crops in all seven participating states, and the FCT for this upcoming dry season.

“The decision to implement the design, build and operate (DBO) model for the development of the zones is a welcomed development.

“By December 2024 we will have concluded the process of on board DBO service providers for site development,” said Kyari.

He said 500,000 direct and indirect jobs would be created through the programme and about 2.5 million temporary jobs would be created along infrastructure development and related services.

He added that the potential economic benefits of SAPZ programme acceleration, amongst others, included some additional metric tonnes of food to the nation’s food basket.

He stated that the SAPZ programme would improve the yield of staple foods from five to 10 per cent to about 50 per cent to 100 per cent, and reduce post-harvest losses from 45 per cent to 20 per cent.

“As you are aware, the SAPZ Phase 1 is currently being implemented in seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“This phase is not without its challenges, ranging from constraints in project execution, delays in approval processes and procurement issues across various financiers.

“These challenges have the potential to derail our progress, but I’m confident that with collective determination, we will find solutions and deliver results,” the minister said.

He said the dialogue had become imperative to address the concerns raised by the state governors and collectively agree on a way forward.

“Today, I expect a robust dialogue amongst us, considering the lessons learned from the established successful models and agro-industrial processing zones across the globe.

“The need to align all our efforts at the federal and state levels, as well as with our development partners, is germane,” he said.

He hoped that the momentum gained at the workshop would translate into tangible outcomes for the target beneficiaries, particularly those in rural areas where SAPZ would have its greatest impact.

Kyari expressed gratitude to development partners such the African Development Bank, the International Fund for Agriculture Development, and Islamic Development Bank, for ensuring the SAPZ programme delivered on its objective. (NAN)

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma