Nigeria Sets Up Technical Committee to Advance SAPZ Initiative

News in Brief

-Nigeria has inaugurated a technical committee to drive the implementation of the SAPZ programme to boost agro-industrialization and attract private investment.

-The initiative seeks to unlock Nigeria’s agricultural potential by developing clusters that link farmers to processors and markets.

Nigeria has inaugurated an Inter-Agency Technical Committee for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme, a strategic initiative aimed at boosting agro-industrialisation and attracting private sector investments across Nigeria.

Speaking at the inauguration, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, explained that the committee’s role is to guide the implementation of the SAPZ programme, ensuring effective coordination among federal agencies and smooth information sharing among stakeholders.

In a statement, Ogunbiyi described the committee’s creation as a critical milestone in cluster-based development and building integrated infrastructure to connect farmers with processors, markets, and industries.

He emphasised the government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment and providing leadership to support the programme’s success.

Targets of the SAPZ Technical Committee

The committee’s terms of reference include offering technical guidance on programme implementation strategies, identifying and resolving technical gaps. It will align sectoral policies with SAPZ objectives and support monitoring, evaluation, and reporting to guarantee accountability and measurable impact.

In her welcome address, Director of the Federal Department of Development Partnership Projects, Mrs Iluromi Olubunmi, noted the timing of the committee’s inauguration as necessary for ensuring technical guidance, inter-agency coordination, and policy alignment for the programme’s nationwide success.

SAPZ National Project Coordinator, Dr Kabir Yusuf, highlighted that the programme’s core objective is to foster inclusive and sustainable agro-industrial development, diversify Nigeria’s economy through agriculture, and reduce the country’s food import bill.

He described SAPZ as a cross-cutting medium designed to attract private sector investment into value-added agro-processing, unlocking opportunities for food security, job creation, export earnings, rural poverty reduction, and increased agricultural contribution to the economy.

The committee comprises representatives from key federal ministries, including Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Water Resources, Women Affairs, Industries, Trade & Investment, Power, and Works.