SAPZ Programme is a Model for Agricultural Industrialization, Says Ogunbiyi<\/p>\n
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, has said that the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme is a model for agricultural industrialization, food systems transformation, and sustainable economic development in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
Dr. Ogunbiyi made this known during the meeting of the Federal Inter-Agency Technical Committee for the SAPZ Programme held at the Ministry\u2019s Conference Room in Abuja Thursday, May 14, 2026.<\/p>\n
He stated that the initiative is expected to significantly reduce post-harvest losses, improve productivity, attract private investments, create sustainable jobs for youth and women, strengthen food security, enhance rural incomes, as well as stimulate inclusive economic growth across participating states and the nation at large.<\/p>\n
Dr. Ogunbiyi explained that the SAPZ initiative seeks to establish integrated agro-industrial hubs with critical infrastructure such as roads, power, water supply, storage facilities, logistics systems, and processing centers located close to areas of high agricultural production.<\/p>\n
He stressed that the programme would transform Nigeria\u2019s agricultural landscape by shifting from the export of raw agricultural commodities to agro-industrial processing, value addition, and market-driven agricultural development.<\/p>\n
The Permanent Secretary added that the SAPZ Programme represents one of the most strategic agricultural and economic transformation initiatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria.<\/p>\n
He highlighted that it is a flagship programme jointly financed by the Federal Government of Nigeria, African Development Bank (AfDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), with strong collaboration from participating state governments and private sector stakeholders.<\/p>\n
He noted that the SAPZ Programme presents a unique opportunity for Nigeria to reposition agriculture as a business-driven and industrialized sector capable of driving national development, generating employment, and increasing competitiveness within regional and global markets.<\/p>\n
Dr. Ogunbiyi emphasized that the programme aligns strongly with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration and the Federal Government\u2019s commitment to achieving food security, economic diversification, import substitution, and rural industrialization. SAPZ is not merely an infrastructure project; it is a strategic platform for transforming rural communities into centers of economic prosperity and industrial growth.<\/p>\n
He reaffirmed the Ministry\u2019s commitment, as the coordinating Ministry, to provide the necessary leadership, policy coordination, and enabling environment required for the successful implementation of the programme, adding that achieving the objectives of SAPZ requires strong institutional collaboration, technical synergy, and sustained inter-agency coordination.<\/p>\n
In a statement, FMAFS’s Head of Information, Ezeaja Ikemefuna disclosed that the Minister asserted the need to strengthen technical coordination and collaboration among relevant MDAs, development partners, and key stakeholders for the effective implementation of the SAPZ Programme.<\/p>\n
To this end, the Committee is expected to:
\nI. Provide technical guidance and strategic direction for programme implementation
\nII. Facilitate effective inter-agency coordination, collaboration, and information sharing
\nIII. Ensure alignment of sectoral policies, programmes, and investments with SAPZ objectives
\nIV. Review implementation progress and recommend corrective actions where necessary
\nV. Identify technical, institutional, and operational bottlenecks and propose practical solutions
\nVI. Strengthen monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and reporting mechanisms
\nVII. Promote synergy among federal and state institutions, development partners, financial institutions, and private investors<\/p>\n
Dr. Ogunbiyi who lauded the development partners\u2014AfDB, IFAD, IsDB\u2014and all collaborating institutions for their unwavering support, partnership, and sustained confidence in Nigeria\u2019s agricultural transformation agenda,
\nurged members of the Committee to continue to provide the highest level of technical expertise and institutional support.<\/p>\n
In her welcome address, the Director of the Federal Department of Development Partners Projects, Dr. Mrs. Iluromi Adebola stated that the SAPZ Programme remains a strategic intervention aimed at transforming Nigeria\u2019s agricultural sector through value addition, agro-industrialization, private sector investment, and rural economic development.<\/p>\n
She noted that the role of this Committee is critical in ensuring effective coordination, policy alignment, and timely resolution of implementation challenges, and assured that the discussions would further strengthen inter-agency collaboration and advance the collective objective of delivering sustainable agricultural transformation and food security for the nation.<\/p>\n
During his presentation, the National Programme Coordinator, Dr. Kabir Yusuf, stated that SAPZ is a cross-cutting platform to attract private sector investment into value-added agro-processing to unlock opportunities for improved food security, job creation, export earnings, rural poverty reduction, and increased contribution of agriculture to national GDP.<\/p>\n
He added that the Programme Development Objective is to support inclusive and sustainable agro-industrial development in Nigeria, aimed at diversifying the economy through agriculture and reducing the food import bill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SAPZ Programme is a Model for Agricultural Industrialization, Says Ogunbiyi The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, has said that the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme is a model for agricultural industrialization, food systems transformation, and sustainable economic development in Nigeria. Dr. Ogunbiyi made this known during […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":150750,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3014,2057,3013],"class_list":{"0":"post-150749","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-others","8":"tag-agricultural-industrialization","9":"tag-dr-marcus-ogunbiyi","10":"tag-sapz-programme"},"yoast_head":"\n