Kaduna launches Nigeria’s first special agro-industrial processing zone

Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), says Kaduna state is leading the way as the first to launch the special agro-industrial processing zone (SAPZ) in Nigeria.

Adesina spoke on Tuesday when he paid a courtesy call at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, the official office and residence of the state governor.

The AfDB launched phase one of the $538 million special agro-industrial processing zone (SAPZ) programme in Kaduna today.

Adesina praised Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna, for his commitment to agricultural transformation.

He further described Kaduna as a trailblazer, noting that the state is the “first state to launch the special agro-industrial processing zone in Nigeria. This is a great day for us all”.

The AfDB president cited the Kaduna state’s remarkable budgetary increase for agriculture, from N1.4 billion to N74 billion.

According to Adesina, the increase is an example of political will backed by substantial investment.

“You didn’t just put your money where your mouth is — you put your money where your mind and your body are,” Adesina said.

”Kaduna’s leadership on this project reflects not just a vision for food security but a roadmap for economic prosperity and inclusive development.”

AfDB TO SUPPORT KADUNA WITH SCHOOL FEEDING, HEALTH CARE IMPROVEMENTS 

Adesina also said the AfDB is committed to supporting Kaduna state in expanding school feeding programmes and integrating them with the new processing zones.

He pledged additional support for primary healthcare improvements, health insurance, and infrastructure, including water, sanitation, and digitalisation.

“We’re proud to partner with a government that listens, that leads with compassion, and that is open to all,” he added.

In his remarks, Sani described Adesina as “a blessing to Nigeria, Africa, and humanity,” just as he applauded the AfDB president’s transformative work in agriculture across the continent.

He further said that Adesina’s initiative, when he was Nigeria’s minister of agriculture years back, has benefited more than 15 million smallholder farmers across Nigeria, mostly in northern Nigeria, through his e-wallet initiative.

“The initiative aimed not only to transform agriculture but could have also addressed the problem of financial exclusion we are facing today, as it could have provided access to financial credit for our smallholder farmers,” Sani said.

“It could have also addressed the problem of insecurity we are facing in Northern Nigeria.

“In Kaduna, agriculture contributes about 42 percent of our GDP and accounts for about 60 percent of employment in the state.

“This is why we believe insecurity has hindered much of the development we could have achieved through agriculture.

“Because we believe it is one of the most important sectors to invest in, part of what we did was to increase the agricultural budget from N1.4 billion, which we inherited in 2023, to N74 billion in the current budget.

“By doing that, we became the first sub-national government to achieve the 10 percent target of the 2014 Malabo Declaration, which set the goal of allocating 10 percent of the budget to agriculture.”

On the agro-industrial processing zone, the state governor described the launch as a very important project.

Sani also commended Adesina for his efforts in transforming agriculture in Nigeria and across Africa.