Abuja: The Federal Government has inaugurated the Federal Inter-Agency Technical Committee for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme. The SAPZ initiative is designed to drive agro-industrialisation, promote value addition, create jobs, enhance food security, and attract private sector investments into rural economies.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, highlighted during the inauguration of the committee that it would serve as the engine room for the operationalisation of the SAPZ programme. Ogunbiyi emphasized that the programme is a strategic approach to unlocking Nigeria’s vast agricultural potential through cluster-based development and integrated infrastructure that connects farmers to processors, markets, and industries.
The committee’s roles include providing technical guidance on the implementation strategies of the programme, facilitating inter-agency coordination and information sharing among stakeholders, identifying and addressing technical gaps, recommending appropriate solutions, and ensuring alignment of sectoral policies and programmes with SAPZ objectives.
Dr. Kabir Yusuf, the National Project Coordinator of SAPZ, provided an overview of the programme, its achievements, and challenges. He stated that the programme aims to diversify Nigeria’s economy through agriculture and reduce the food import bill. Participating states in the first phase of the programme include Kano, Imo, Kaduna, Cross River, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Mrs. Iluromi Olubunmi, Director of the Federal Department of Development Partnership Project, noted that the SAPZ initiative is timely, as it seeks to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s agricultural value chains, promote agro-industrialisation, attract private sector investments, create jobs, and enhance food security and rural prosperity. The inauguration of the committee is seen as a crucial step in providing the necessary technical guidance and policy alignment needed for the successful implementation of the programme across the country.