The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) project is expected to create about 50,000 direct and indirect jobs with women accounting for 40% of the beneficiaries within the five-year duration of the project.
This was disclosed by Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, the minister of State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Wednesday at the commencement of the distribution of agricultural inputs to FCT SAPZ project’s beneficiaries to boost agricultural production.
She was represented by the Mandate Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, FCT Administration, Mr Lawan Geidam.
The SAPZ is an initiative of The African Development Bank (AfDB) founded in October 2022 to catalyse agriculture in Africa into an internationally competitive sector and an important contributor to sustainable development.
The AfDB has been working with governments and the private sector in 11 African countries to create Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) that will turn the rural landscape into economic zones of prosperity and harness the power of commercial agriculture and food production.
On this, Mahmoud underscored the importance of food as the most essential need for human survival, emphasising the crucial role agriculture plays in meeting this need.
She also pointed out that agriculture is the backbone of the nation’s economy, providing livelihoods for millions and ensuring food security.
However, the minister highlighted that farmers and agro-entrepreneurs face numerous and complex challenges, such as climate change, poor agricultural practices, and limited access to markets.
She stressed, “These challenges require innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to address them.
“The project is designed to inject the much-needed manpower, resources and investments to reinvigorate the agricultural sector for sustainable development.”
Mahmoud expressed optimism that the agricultural inputs would act as a crucial catalyst for building a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector in the FCT. She identified the inputs as bull calves, animal feeds, improved seeds, fertilisers, crop protection chemicals, and equipment.
Furthermore, the minister announced that 5,000 crop and livestock farmers have been profiled and approved to benefit from the support in the first phase of the SAPZ intervention.
Meanwhile, speaking as the mandate secretary of the agriculture and rural development secretariat, Geidam explained that SAPZ was initiated to unlock the potential of the livestock sub-sector in the FCT.
This initiative aims to provide critical financing and support to drive the growth, productivity, and sustainability of the sector. Additionally, he added that the project would also train various groups and provide funding for their respective agricultural ventures.
According to him, the support is expected to reduce the high cost of production, thereby enabling farmers to maximize their earnings and improve their livelihoods.
Similarly, SAPZ Project Coordinator in FCT, Hajia Umma Abubakar, noted that the project is a flagship initiative designed to revolutionize agriculture in Nigeria. Abubakar added that the project is also expected to promote the livestock value chain and focus on industrial processing and marketing of beef and dairy products.
In promoting the livestock value chain and revolutionising agriculture in Nigeria, jobs will be created for the teeming youth and women population.
She reiterated this saying, “It also aimed at developing the rural areas, increasing household income, and fostering job creation in rural agricultural communities, targeting youths and women”
