By Doris Esa
The Federal Government has reitrated its commitment to drive agro-industrial growth and transform the agricitiral sector through the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme.
Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security stated this on Thursday at the Federal Inter – Agency Technical Committee Meeting of the Special Agro Industrial Processing Zone Programme (SAPZ) in Abuja.
Ogunbiyi said that SAPZ Programme represents one of the most strategic agricultural and economic transformation initiatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
He explained that the SAPZ programme is designed to transform Nigeria’s agricultural landscape by moving the country from the export of raw agricultural commodities to agro-industrial processing, value addition, and market-driven agricultural development.
” The SAPZ initiative seeks to establish integrated agro-industrial hubs with critical infrastructure such as roads, power, water supply, storage facilities, logistics systems, and processing centres located close to areas of high agricultural production.
” The programme is expected to significantly reduce post-harvest losses, improve productivity, attract private investments, create sustainable jobs for our teeming youth and women.
” The programme also aims to strengthen food security, enhance rural incomes, and stimulate inclusive economic growth across participating States and the nation at large,” he said.
Ogunbiyi said the initiative is a strategic platform for transforming rural communities into centres of economic prosperity and industrial growth.
He stressed that it also present a unique opportunity for Nigeria to reposition agriculture as a business-driven and industrialised sector capable of driving national development.
According to him, it also generates employment, and increasing competitiveness within regional and global markets.
” The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, as the coordinating Ministry, remains fully committed to providing the necessary leadership and policy coordination.
” Together, through effective collaboration and sustained commitment, we can make the SAPZ programme a model for agricultural industrialisation, food systems transformation, and sustainable economic development in Nigeria,” he said.
Earlier, Dr Iluromi Adebola, Director, Federal Department of Development Partner, said SAPZ would advance sustainable agricultural transformation and food security for Nigeria.
Adebola said the programme remained a strategic intervention aimed at transforming Nigeria’s agricultural sector through value addition, agro-industrialization among others.
She said the role of the Committee of the SAPZ is critical in ensuring effective coordination, policy alignment, and timely resolution of implementation challenges of the SAPZ.
In his presentation, the National Project Coordinator, SAPZ, Dr Kabir Yusuf, said the programme had supported farmers with agricultural inputs, trained the farmers on extension services and good agronomics practices.
Kabir said the through the programme, farmers were also trained on community seeds programmes which would help farmers produce their own seeds rather than depending on the private sector for the seedlings.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)