News in Brief:
– Enugu state is partnering with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Nigeria’s federal ministries to establish Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs).
– This move significantly leans towards Governor Mbah’s plan to boost agriculture while fighting poverty in the state.
The Enugu state government is partnering with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Ministry of Finance to develop Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) in the state.
This collaboration follows a preparatory visit by a delegation led by Dr. Akande Oyetola, representing the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun. The delegation assessed the state’s readiness for the project, which includes a pilot zone encompassing over 1,000 hectares of land.
Subsequently, Dr. Oyetola commended Enugu for fulfilling a significant number of the prerequisites for participation in the SAPZ program, including securing the necessary land. He stated that Enugu has met several of the conditions precedent for a state to participate in the development of agro-processing zones.
Effectively, this signifies the state’s strong position for the project as it paves the way for AfDB and the federal government’s financial and technical intervention.
Additionally, according to the state’s Commisioner for Agriculture and Agro-industrialisation, Patrick Ubru, the initiative aligns with Enugu Governor Peter Mbah’s vision to eradicate poverty and hunger in the state. He added that the construction of a key access road and environmental studies are already underway, with strong community support.
It is instructive to note that SAPZs are expected to boost commercial agriculture, food production, and transform rural areas into economic hubs.
Recall that the development bank announced a billion dollar injection into establishing these zones in 25 of Nigeria’s 36 states. Also, earlier in February, the institution revealed that it would begin disursing $540 million of this fund in tranches to participating states that had shown readiness, Enugu had not been among the listed states at the time. It appears now that the Mbah-led administration has sped up developments to meet the requirements for participation.
