North-east lawmakers protest exclusion from FG’s agro-industrial zones project

Lawmakers from the north-east geopolitical zone have expressed outrage over the exclusion of the region from the federal government’s special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZ) initiative.

The caucus comprises all senators and members of the house of representatives from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Danjuma Goje, chairman of the north-east caucus and senator representing Gombe central, condemned the omission of the north-east from the project.

Goje addressed the press after an emergency meeting convened by the lawmakers.

He said the exclusion was “alarming” given the vast agricultural and livestock potential of the north-east.

“For a start, $530 million is to be provided by the federal government, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for the SAPZ programme,” he said.

“On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, His Excellency, the Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, in Kaduna state, flagged off the construction of phase one of the SAPZ as part of the administration’s plan to industrialise Nigeria’s agricultural sector and create sustainable jobs.”

The former governor of Gombe noted that while the programme covers seven states and the federal capital territory (FCT), none is cited in the north-east.

He listed Kaduna, Kano, Ogun and Oyo as having two zones, while the south-south, south-east, and north-central zones got one each.

He said the omission contradicted the goal of inclusive development and ignored the agricultural strengths of the north-east, which he described as the largest geopolitical zone by landmass in Nigeria.

“Our region is known for its enormous livestock and crop growth, contributing significantly to our country’s economic well-being and gross domestic product (GDP),” he said.

“It is against this backdrop that we are extremely worried that our zone is excluded from the SAPZ programme, regarded as a ‘presidential priority project’ and a direct response to longstanding challenges facing Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, including poor infrastructure, limited access to markets, and low-vaue addition.”

He said the SAPZ programme aims to transform agriculture in Nigeria by creating agro-industrial hubs, linking farmers to processors, reducing post-harvest losses, and expanding rural economies.

“We appeal for the immediate inclusion of the north-east geopolitical zone in the special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZ),” Goje said.

“This is not only for fairness and inclusivity but for the actualisation of the lofty ideals of the presdent administration to industrialise Nigeria’s agricultural sector and create sustainable jobs in the country.”

The caucus commended President Bola Tinubu for sustaining the vision initiated over a decade ago by Akinwumi Adesina, a former minister of agriculture, now president of the AfDB.