To boost agro-industrialization and attract private sector investment, the Federal Government has inaugurated the Inter-Agency Technical Committee for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, said the Committee would guide the implementation of the SAPZ programme and ensure coordination between agencies, and to manage information sharing among stakeholders.

Ogunbiyi, in a statement at the weekend, disclosed that the establishment of the Committee marks an important milestone for the coordinated implementation and execution of the SAPZ Programme.

He revealed that the scheme is a strategic approach to unlocking Nigeria’s vast agricultural potential through cluster-based development and integrated infrastructure that links farmers to processors, markets, and industries.

He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to provide the enabling environment, leadership, and support to ensure that the programme achieves its mandate.

Also, he said the terms of reference of the committee include: providing technical guidance on the implementation strategies of the programme; identifying and addressing technical gaps and recommending appropriate solutions; ensuring alignment of sectoral policies and programmes with SAPZ objectives; and supporting the monitoring, evaluation, and reporting framework to ensure accountability and impact, among others.

He appealed to the committee “to embrace this platform with dedication, collaboration, and a shared sense of responsibility to deliver meaningful results for our nation. Together, we can make the SAPZ Programme a model for agricultural transformation and sustainable economic development in Nigeria.”

In addition, Director, Federal Department of Development Partnership Projects, Iluromi Olubunmi, stated that the inauguration of this committee was timely and necessary to provide the required technical guidance, inter-agency coordination, and policy alignment needed for the successful implementation of the programme across the country.

More so, SAPZ National Project Coordinator, Kabir Yusuf, stated that the programme development objective would be to support inclusive and sustainable agro-industrial development in Nigeria and also aimed at diversifying Nigeria’s economy through agriculture and reduction of food import bill.

He pointed out 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.” (The Sun)