By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
Senators and members of the House of Representatives from the North East geo-political zone yesterday lamented the federal government’s non-inclusion of their region in its $530m Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) projects.
At the end of an emergency meeting yesterday, members of the National Assembly Caucus of the North East geo-political political Zone wondered why a whole region would be excluded from the all-important programme.
Seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been selected for the programme.
The Federal Government, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will provide at least $530 million for the implementation of the SAPZ programme.
The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, flagged off the construction of Phase 1 of the SAPZ in Kaduna State on Tuesday as part of the present administration’s plan to industrialise Nigeria’s agricultural sector and create sustainable jobs.
But addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday, all senators and members of the House of Representatives from the six states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe urged President Bola Tinubu to consider their zone for the project urgently.
The Chairman of the North East caucus in the National Assembly, Senator Danjuma Goje, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said the emergency meeting was convened sequel to the exclusion of their zone from SAPZ despite the region’s enormous potential in all spheres of agriculture and livestock in the country.
He said, “Given the seriousness of this matter, the members of our caucus, even though the Parliament is on recess, cut short their holidays to attend this meeting and express our reservations about our region’s exclusion from the programme.
“Seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been selected for the programme. The North West and South West have two processing zones each- Kaduna, Kano, Ogun, and Oyo states. The South-South, South-East and North-Central have one processing zone each.
“Despite its enormous agricultural potential, the North East is conspicuously missing from the list of states allocated the processing zones. SAPZs aim to transform Nigeria’s agriculture landscape through innovation, private-sector investments, and strategic public partnerships.
“The zones are designed to create agro-industrial hubs that integrate farmers with processors, reduce post-harvest losses and expand rural economic opportunities.
“Geographically, the North East is the largest geo-political zone in the nation, covering nearly one-third of Nigeria’s total area of 272,451 km2 (105,194sq mi). Our potential in all aspects of the agricultural sector cannot be overemphasised.
“Our region, the North-East, is known for its enormous livestock and crop growth, contributing significantly to our country’s economic well-being and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Against this backdrop, we are extremely worried that our zone will be excluded from the SAPZ programme.
“This programme is regarded as a “presidential priority project” and a direct response to the longstanding challenges facing Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, including poor infrastructure, limited market access, and low-value addition.”
They commended the President for making the programme a reality.
The President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, said the agro-industrial zones began during his tenure as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture over a decade ago.
The North East caucus said, “We lament the exclusion of the North East geo-political zone from the processing zones despite its enormous agricultural potential cutting across all sector value chains.
“We appeal for the immediate inclusion of the North East Geo-political Zone in the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ).
“This is not only for fairness and inclusivity but for the actualisation of the lofty ideals of the present administration to industrialise Nigeria’s agricultural sector and create sustainable jobs in the country.”
