Nigeria has emerged as the top beneficiary of the African Development Bank's (AfDB) Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) initiative, now spanning 27 sites across 11 African countries.
At the groundbreaking of the Ijaiye SAPZ hub in Oyo State, Prof. Banji Oyelaran Oyeyinka, adviser to former AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina, hailed the programme as a game-changer for Africa's agro-industrial transformation.
"Nigeria has completed eight SAPZ sites in Phase One, with 28 more planned," he said. The initiative clusters infrastructure like roads, power, and logistics around rural production centers to attract investment and create jobs.
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With $538 million in financing, SAPZs are set to expand into 23 Nigerian states by 2027. Seven states, including Kaduna, Kano, and Ogun, are already underway.
Prof. Oyeyinka urged governments to grant SAPZs Presidential Priority Project status and free zone designations to boost private sector investment.
He linked SAPZs to Nigeria's trillion-dollar economic goal by 2030, stressing the need for 14.7% GDP per capita growth. "SAPZs offer a pathway to real transformation," he said. "This is about lifting millions out of poverty through agro-industrialisation."
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