The Federal Government has dismissed claims that states in the North-East were excluded from the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) project, emphasizing that the region remains an integral part of the initiative.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, made this clarification during a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, following criticism from some lawmakers representing the North-East who alleged the region was sidelined in the implementation of the $538 million project.
“All states, including those in the North-East were invited to participate in the programme,”; Kyari stated.
He added that the SAPZ is open to any state that meets the set criteria.
He explained that the selection into the first phase of the project, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in partnership with the Federal Government, was based on readiness and interest expressed by the states.
According to him, eight locations, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, Imo, Cross River, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) qualified for the initial rollout.
“The SAPZ is structured as a loan-based programme, and states are expected to indicate their interest. Unfortunately, some states didn’t respond when we reached out,”; the minister explained.
Kyari said recent projects launched in Cross River and Kaduna have sparked renewed interest from other states, including those in the North-East.
“We believe seeing the project in action has inspired more states, including those in the North-East, to begin the onboarding process,”; he noted.
The minister disclosed that he wrote to all states not included in the first phase in early 2024, encouraging them to express interest in future phases.
He said while 27 states responded, only 10 met the minimum criteria for participation.
“The blanket statement that the North-East was excluded isn’t accurate,”; Kyari stressed.
“We encourage lawmakers to support their respective state governments in completing the application process so they can benefit from future phases.”;
