The Federal Government has urged farmers, agribusiness operators, financial institutions, research bodies, development partners and other stakeholders to play an active role in the implementation of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme.
It stressed that stronger collaboration among stakeholders is essential to improving agricultural value chains, advancing agro-industrial growth, boosting food security and creating employment opportunities nationwide.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, made the appeal in Abuja during the SAPZ Phase One Mid-Term Review Workshop.
He described the SAPZ initiative as a strategic agribusiness intervention aimed at supporting Nigeria’s economic diversification drive through agriculture, adding that it is designed to transform the sector into a modern, competitive and wealth-generating industry.
Ogunbiyi noted that the programme is expected to cut post-harvest losses from about 45 per cent to 20 per cent while significantly improving the productivity of key staple crops.
He further stated that SAPZ could supply large quantities of food to the national food system, generate about 500,000 direct and indirect jobs across participating locations, and create up to 2.5 million temporary jobs through infrastructure development and related activities.
According to him, the initiative remains one of the Federal Government’s key agricultural transformation projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises food security, industrialisation, economic diversification, job creation and rural development.
He explained that the programme is designed to tackle persistent challenges in the agricultural sector, including weak linkages between producers and markets, inadequate processing facilities, high post-harvest losses and low value addition.
Ogunbiyi said the initiative introduces integrated agro-industrial hubs that combine production, processing, storage, logistics and marketing within designated economic zones.
However, he acknowledged challenges affecting the first phase of implementation across seven states and the Federal Capital Territory, including delayed approvals, low fund disbursement, procurement bottlenecks and slow infrastructure rollout.
He expressed optimism that the challenges would be addressed through collective efforts to ensure successful delivery of the programme.
The Permanent Secretary added that the workshop was convened to assess progress, identify constraints and develop strategies for accelerating implementation.
He said it would also strengthen coordination across government levels and improve collaboration with development partners to ensure tangible benefits reach rural communities.
Earlier, the National Programme Coordinator of SAPZ, Dr Kabir Yusuf, described the initiative as a broad agro-industrialisation framework aimed at attracting private sector investment into value-added agricultural processing.
He noted that the programme is expected to enhance food security, create jobs, reduce import dependence, reduce rural poverty and increase agriculture’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.
Yusuf explained that SAPZ is designed to develop agro-industrial clusters in high-producing agricultural areas to supply domestic markets and generate exportable surpluses.
He added that it also seeks to empower smallholder farmers, processors, traders and community-based service providers, particularly women and youths, to benefit from emerging market opportunities.
He said the programme is being implemented through partnerships between the Federal Government, the African Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Islamic Development Bank and participating state governments.
Yusuf disclosed that the first phase is currently being implemented in Cross River, Imo, Ogun, Oyo, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara states and the Federal Capital Territory, serving as a pilot for nationwide expansion.
He added that notable progress has been made in institutional strengthening, infrastructure planning, stakeholder engagement, environmental safeguards and private sector mobilisation, forming a solid base for the next phase of implementation.