By Lucy Ogalue
The Federal Government and the African Development Bank (AfDB) is set to commence implementation of agro-industrial projects in Kaduna and Calabar to boost food security in the country.
The AfDB in a statement said it would kickstart the construction of the 538 million dollars Phase 1 Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme in Kaduna on Tuesday.
According to the statement, Vice President Kashim Shettima and African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, will attend the event which will be hosted by Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani.
It said the AfDB president would then move to Cross River, where the Federal Government and Gov. Bassey Otu would lead another groundbreaking event in Calabar.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the SAPZ Phase 1 programmme is spread across eight locations including Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Cross River, Imo, Ogun, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory.
Inaugurated in 2022, the initiative received 210 million dollars from the AfDB, with support from the Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, and ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms.
The statement says the programme aims to increase food production, reduce imports, create jobs, and transform rural areas into productive economic zones.
It also said that in 2023, Nigeria spent 4.7 billion dollars importing food, adding that the SAPZ is designed to reverse this by boosting local production and strengthening value chains.
“The project will enhance agricultural productivity by more than 60 per cent, reduce post-harvest losses, and support agro-processing from farm to market.
“Kaduna and Cross River will host agro-industrial hubs, transformation centers, and aggregation facilities as part of the programme’s core infrastructure.
“Kaduna will focus on maize, soybeans, ginger, and tomatoes, while Cross River targets cocoa, cassava, and rice production,” it said.
It further said that the sites were located near key universities like Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Calabar to tap into research and skilled manpower.
“Each participating state is expected to generate more than 60,000 jobs, according to project estimates.
“Several federal and state officials, along with development partners, are expected to attend the ceremonies to mark this major step in agricultural development,” the statement added.
(NAN)
