The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), Abubakar Kyari, on Saturday addressed recent concerns raised by the North-East National Assembly Caucus regarding the perceived exclusion of the region from the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) program.
The Minister described the allegations as “misinformed” and provided a comprehensive breakdown of the initiative’s origin, processes, and ongoing expansion, during a media chat with journalists in Abuja.
SAPZ is a flagship agricultural program of the Federal Government, aimed at transforming Nigeria’s agriculture by boosting productivity, enhancing value-addition, and establishing processing zones across the country.
These zones are intended to create agro-industrial hubs that will drive economic growth and food security.
Initiated as a federal government-enabled but state-driven initiative, the SAPZ program was officially launched in 2022, but its conceptual framework was developed as early as 2019.
Its implementation hinges on states expressing interest and meeting specific eligibility criteria, including infrastructure readiness, land availability, and commitment to counterpart funding.
The accusations of exclusion surfaced following back-to-back groundbreaking ceremonies for SAPZ hubs in Kaduna (April 8, 2025) and Cross River (April 10, 2025).
These events thus prompted the North-East Caucus to declare that “the North-East was completely excluded” from the initiative.
However, the minister clarified, that the sweeping statement by the Caucus that the North East was completely excluded is not correct.
He explained that these events were “milestones from Phase 1, which had been set in motion before the current administration took office”.
He said, “On the 8th of April we commenced the groundbreaking ceremony for the Design-Build-and Operate of the Kaduna Agro-Industrial Hub, and the Cross River Agro-Industrial Hub on the 10th of April 2025, which was the reference point for their worry and concern”.
Speaking further Kyari recalled that in 2019, all state governors were invited to submit expressions of interest for participation in SAPZ.
Accompanying the invitation was an eligibility checklist and interested states were assessed by a team comprising the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the Federal Ministry of Finance, and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
From the process, only seven states identified as Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, Imo, Cross River and the FCT qualified for Phase 1,
This list, Kyari noted, had no North-Eastern state in participation.
He said, “The North-East was not represented at this phase, not by exclusion, but due to non-fulfilment of the required criteria at the time.
“The SAPZ is implemented through a Subsidiary Loan Agreement, meaning the Federal Government secures loans on behalf of states, which must opt-in voluntarily.
“Therefore, only states that show interest and meet the criteria are onboarded.
“Considering this is a loan, it is solely the discretion of the state to participate or not.”
The Minister emphasized that no state was deliberately excluded and that the project’s structure requires phased implementation based on capacity and preparedness.
Speaking on the “Phase 2 Expansion and Inclusion Efforts” Kyari said Vice President Kashim Shettima, during foreign engagements in Rome and Iowa, secured a $1bn commitment from the AfDB to support the inclusion of more states in Phase 2.
According to him, the second phase is being rolled out in three tranches. So far, 27 states have expressed interest and 10 states met the eligibility criteria for the first tranche, including Gombe, Borno, and Bauchi from the North-East”.
He further charged the Governors of Taraba, Yobe, and Adamawa to renew their interest and ensure compliance with the necessary criteria to qualify for subsequent tranches.
“I therefore also want to appeal to the legislators especially the North East NASS Caucus to appeal to the other Governors of the North East namely Taraba, Yobe and Adamawa to reinvigorate their interest in the Program.
“We assure the good people of the North-East and indeed all Nigerians that this government is unwavering in its commitment to equitable agricultural transformation.”
He added that the Green Imperative Project (GIP), a newly signed initiative will establish mechanized Agricultural Service Centres across all 774 local government areas, ensuring nationwide coverage.
“We will continue to listen, and we’ve heard the statements of the representatives of the North East and we assure you all that the SAPZ Program is for all Nigerians and every State of the Federation will be brought on board” he noted.
North-East Not Excluded From Special Agro-Industrial Zones Programme —Minister is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Source: The Whistler
