The African Development Bank AfDB has reaffirmed commitment to transforming rural communities through the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme.
At the 1st Joint FGN/IFAD Supervision Mission Wrap-up event, AFDB’s Chief Agro-Industry Officer, Tabi Kari Kari, praised the International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD’s efforts, noting SAPZ’s potential to turn rural areas from “zones of misery to zones of prosperity.”
According to him, multiple Nigerian states have expressed interest in joining SAPZ’s phase two.
He said the AFDB is conducting an appraisal mission, while IFAD’s supervision mission aims to identify and remove implementation bottlenecks.
Kari also emphasized the importance of acceleration in production, infrastructure development, and policy institutional growth.
He then thanked the IFAD Country Director, Mrs. Dede Ekoue, and her team for their contributions to the mission.