Nigeria began on Tuesday the wander to considerably remodel its meals and agriculture sector by launching the constructing of the $510 million Particular Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) financed by the African Building Bank and progress companions.
Thousands of residents of Kaduna Philosophize in northern Nigeria braved the hot solar and a unhurried afternoon downpour, first time to rain in extra than six months, to agree with the nation’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President of the African Building Bank Neighborhood Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and the place Governor Uba Sani lead the groundbreaking for the first of the eight SAPZ initiatives.
The other seven states that blueprint half of the Half One program are Misguided River, the build groundbreaking might be held on Thursday 10 April, Kano, Kwara, Imo, Ogun, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory. Preparations are underway for the second share of the program, which will duvet the final 28 States.
The Particular Agro-Industrial Processing Zones are expected to remodel Nigeria’s rural areas into thriving economies that can pause years of importing meals that can perhaps perhaps perhaps also simply also be produced domestically, enhance national meals security, blueprint for the export market and construct jobs for thousands and thousands of younger Nigerians.
Vice President Shettima said the SAPZ program represents a national crucial below President Bola Ahmed Tinubu: “We are not merely breaking ground. We are building the infrastructure to feed our people, empower our youth, and fulfil the boundless promise of our nation. This is about the resilience of our farmers, the brilliance of our entrepreneurs, and our resolve to craft a future that thrives, guided by the African Development Bank’s leadership. The world races toward innovation. Nigeria will lead, not follow, with this zone as our foundation.”
“Dr Adesina has been pursuing this dream for the past fifteen years, and dreams when persistent are capable of turning into realities. He’s simply one of our best, pregnant with ideas, and he’s someone with whom I can pay to spend time,” said Shettima.
Adesina, who previously served as Nigeria’s Agriculture Minister, said the groundbreaking notorious a prolonged-held dream: “I never stopped dreaming that the day would come when Nigeria would have the Staple Crop Processing Zones to change the fortunes of farmers, revive the rural areas and turn Nigeria into an agricultural processing powerhouse,” he added.
“Now, 10 years later, the dream for the Staple Crop Processing Zones is alive in Nigeria, finally, now as Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones. What a great day for Nigeria! So, you can understand my level of excitement and elation today,” said Adesina, who used to be accompanied by his wife Grace Yemisi Adesina.
To enhance sources for the financing of these zones across African countries, the African Building Bank has committed over $934 million for the progress of the Particular Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) and mobilized co-financing of over $938 million from companions, including the Islamic Building Bank and the Global Fund for Agriculture Building (IFAD).
To present the SAPZs prevail across Nigeria, Adesina spelled out five extreme enablers, including the need for persevered sturdy political will and dedication at the very best phases, unfriendly-ministerial cooperation and collaboration, and continuity in executive insurance policies. This is to boot to codifying the SAPZ program and setting up an SAPZ Authority, with both backed by an act of parliament, Adesina said.
Kaduna Governor Senator Uba Sani said his verbalize executive had made agriculture the cornerstone of its progress agenda. “Over the past two years, we have backed our commitment with unprecedented investment,” he said. “In the 2023 budget that we inherited, agriculture received just 1.4 billion Naira ($885,000), a mere 0.4% of the State budget. However, in 2024, we increased this to 23.4 billion Naira ($14.8 million). In 2025, we took it even further approving 74.2 billion Naira ($47 million) for agriculture, representing over 10% of the State budget.”
Kaduna is the nation’s main producer of ginger, maize, and tomatoes. It is some distance the second greatest producer of wheat and has immense livestock herds.
The African Building Bank is investing $200 million in Half One in all the SAPZ. The Islamic Building Bank is contributing $150 million, the Global Fund for Agricultural Building $100 million, and the Green Climate Fund $60 million.
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, known because it “a pivotal leap, harnessing private capital to enrich rural life,” whereas the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, expressed gratitude: “This Bank-led project honours our people.”
“We are happy today, because the SAPZ has promised to provide quality seedlings and other inputs. They will also buy from us as farmers.” Hannafu Emmanuel, a farmer, said.
The Particular Agro-Industrial Processing Zones are below implementation in 27 web sites across 11 countries including Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, Madagascar, Togo, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Mali.
Other dignitaries attending the match incorporated worn Vice President Namadi Sambo and Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe.
Bank Neighborhood President Adesina used to be accompanied by the Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Building Dr Beth Dunford, the Bank’s Govt Director for Nigeria Oyebode Oyetunde, Director Long-established for Nigeria Dr Abdul Kamara, Prof Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Senior Particular Adviser on Industrialisation and Director Richard Ofori-Mante, Director of the Agricultural Finance and Rural Building Division.
