The Federal Government has inaugurated the Inter-Agency Technical Committee for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme to accelerate agro-industrialisation and attract private sector investment into the agricultural sector.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, said the committee would provide strategic direction for the implementation of the SAPZ Programme, foster inter-agency coordination, and ensure effective information sharing among stakeholders.
Speaking over the weekend, Ogunbiyi described the establishment of the committee as a significant milestone in strengthening the coordinated execution of the SAPZ Programme, which aims to unlock Nigeria’s vast agricultural potential through cluster-based development and integrated infrastructure linking farmers to processors, markets, and industries.
He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to providing leadership, an enabling environment, and institutional support to guarantee the programme’s success.
Ogunbiyi urged members of the committee to embrace the platform with dedication, collaboration, and a shared sense of responsibility to deliver meaningful results for the nation.
He added that the committee’s terms of reference include providing technical guidance on implementation strategies, identifying and addressing technical gaps, ensuring policy alignment with SAPZ objectives, and supporting monitoring and evaluation frameworks to enhance accountability and impact.
Director, Federal Department of Development Partnership Projects, Iluromi Olubunmi, described the committee’s inauguration as timely and critical to ensuring effective inter-agency collaboration and policy alignment for the programme’s nationwide implementation.
Similarly, SAPZ National Project Coordinator, Kabir Yusuf, said the programme seeks to promote inclusive and sustainable agro-industrial development, diversify Nigeria’s economy, and reduce food import dependence.
He noted that the SAPZ initiative serves as a cross-cutting platform to attract private sector investments into value-added agro-processing, boost food security, create jobs, enhance export earnings, reduce rural poverty, and increase agriculture’s contribution to national GDP.
