The African Development Bank is set to create about 200,000 jobs through the Special Agro Processing Zone (SAPZ) project in Anambra State.
Dr. Chuma Ezedinma, an Agricultural Economist at AfDB, made this announcement on Saturday during an event tagged, “Preparation Mission for the Development of the second phase of SAPZ program” in Anambra State.
Ezedinma noted that the African Development Bank was highly interested in the affairs of the state and commended Anambra’s outstanding presentation on the SPAZ project.
According to him, their performance was so far the most impressive as it demonstrates their readiness to spearhead the project.
He said: “From what we have seen, about 450 hectares of land will be dedicated to the industrial site. We are looking at approximately 5,000 farm families per zone. Multiply it by three zones, you have 15,000 farm families in the state.
“If you also add other secondary jobs that will be created in the park itself, you will see that we are creating real massive employment for more than 200,000 people over the next five years.”
“The state government had already committed resources to put infrastructure in place, and there is also a private sector interest to deliver this program within a very short time,” he added.
In his remarks, Anambra State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Forster Ihejiofor outlined the contributions of the Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency and the Ministry of Industry in ensuring that the state is ready for the SAPZ project.
The event was attended by representatives from various organizations, including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Safety, the African Development Bank (AFDB), and the Anambra State Government.
