Ogun is the Most Suitable for Special Agricultural Processing Zone — AFDB, IFAD
The African Development Bank (AFDB) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) coordinators have described Ogun State has been as the most suitable place for the Special Agricultural-Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme.
The coordinators said this while they were received by the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun in Abeokuta, on Wednesday.
Learn MoreThe team from the AFDB and IFAD came on a pre-appraisal Mission for the development of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone, led by Dr. Chuma Ezedinma.
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The Country Director, IFAD, Dr. Patrick Habamenshi, in his remark, noted that Nigeria as a country has the opportunity of achieving greatness through agriculture and the development of the sector is paramount to IFAD.
Habamenshi urged Governor Abiodun to support the team with the necessary logistics that may be required towards the successful implementation of the project.
The governor, while addressing the team, declared that Ogun has potentials in the area of good road networks, power plants, rail, deep sea-port, gas pipelines, dams among others factors that promote industrialization.
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“There is a level of coordination, aggregation, and agro-transformation currently going on in the state, as the largest hub for both conventional industries and Agro Industries, which are located near Lagos, one of the largest markets in Africa.
“The improved coordination of aggregation, processing and access to large markets that will accompany the much desired SAPZ, will transform lives, commerce and well-being of people in Ogun State, Nigeria, Africa and the World at large”, he said.
He added that with the earmarking of 20,000 hectares of land including advance level brownfield activities, the state has taken the AfDB SAPZ initiative to a higher level, emphasising that the commencement of the Cargo Airport, whose first phase would be delivered in 2022, would complement export opportunities and nationwide supplies.
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Abiodun said that the state was happy to be chosen as one of the benefitting states in the country, that the project was in line with the administration’s economic agenda.
“I note with great pleasure, our agenda to pursue international collaborations, which is leading us, with hopes from the AfDB SAPZ initiative, just like our collaboration with IITA which has helped us deliver on key Agricultural outputs, with extraordinary performances”. He stated.
He expressed delight at the progress made by the state in the Federal Government of Nigeria/International Fund for Agricultural Development’s Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), whereby 13,000 people had been linked to the credit market and jobs as well as benefits of infrastructure, markets, roads, land clearing, and others.
“Since the inception of this administration in May 2019, our agricultural agenda has been bold, daring, ambitious, and exemplary. From registration of over 80,000 people (mostly youths) for Agricultural value chain opportunities to the linkage of over 15,000 people to credit, input, and guaranteed market and productivity in the FGN/CBN Ogun Anchor Borrowers Programme and other programmes, despite a restrictive COVID-19 year, and a host of others.
“The gathering of global agricultural authorities and experts, as part of our administration’s bid for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) Project, is an indication of our government’s continuous effort to seek partnership and collaboration, in its resolve to support all levels of agricultural activities to achieve food security”, The governor added.
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