Abiodun, Ogun Commissioners at AfDB Headquarter As agency rolls out Special Agro- Industrial Procesing Zone

The Award winning Governor of the year in Agriculture, the Ogun State Governor , Prince Dapo Abiodun on Wednesday was joined by the Commissioner  for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor,  Mr. Ďapo  Okubadejo, Commsioner for Agriculture, Dr Adeola Odedina, Commissioner  for Industry 

Trades and Investment, Mrs Kikelomo longe, Permanent Secretary ,Ministry Agriculture , among others 

at the Haedquarters of the Agricultural  Development  Bank (AfDB) in Cote d’Ivoire for an International engagement on the  special Agro Processing Zone(SAPZ) Programme.

The  event was at the instance of the President of the African Development Bank, Dr  Akinwunmi Adesina who  hosted State Governors from Kaduna, Ogun, Oyo and Imo states in Nigeria & the CEO of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority to discuss the rapid rollout of the first phase of the Bank’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones #SAPZ program in their states. 

 

“The special agro-industrial processing zones will be game changers for agriculture in Nigeria as they will provide world class infrastructure, develop competitive value chaina, create massive wealth & jobs in rural areas & turn them to zones of economic prosperity, according to Dr. Adesina. 

He said the  SAPZ is a flagship program set up by the African Development Bank to support inclusive and sustainable agro-industrial development in countries across the continent. 

According to him, the Bank has committed over $750 million to the goal of setting up 23 agro-industrial hubs across African 11 countries. 

Dr. Adesina further stated that the  push, part of the Bank’s FeedAfrica priority, will follow a government enabled, private sector driven approach to drive agribusiness,saying  the sector is widely seen as one where Africa has both a comparative advantage and, given its arable land, scope to develop exponentially. 

Only last December, the Bank’s board of directors approved a $160 million loan to get the program underway in seven Nigerian states and Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.

The role of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority as the honest broker of the program was also  underscored as Ogun State through its Agriculture  Minjatry is positioned to play key role in the implementation agenda of the programme.