Senators say region sidelined despite vast agricultural potential
ABUJA — Lawmakers from the North East geopolitical zone have raised strong concerns over the exclusion of the region from the Federal Government’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) initiative, a flagship agricultural industrialization programme backed by international partners.
At a press briefing held Thursday in Abuja, Chairman of the North East National Assembly caucus, Senator Danjuma Goje, said the lawmakers could no longer remain silent over what he described as a glaring denial of development intervention of such magnitude.
Flanked by fellow Senators and members of the House of Representatives from the zone, Goje emphasized that the North East — comprising six states and accounting for nearly one-third of Nigeria’s land mass — possesses immense agricultural potential and should not be left out of such a transformational programme.
“Despite its enormous agricultural potential, the North East is conspicuously missing from the list of states selected for the SAPZ programme,” Goje stated. “This is unacceptable and deeply concerning.”
The SAPZ, a multi-billion-naira initiative, aims to boost Nigeria’s agricultural sector through the creation of agro-industrial hubs, connecting farmers with processors to reduce post-harvest losses, increase value addition, and stimulate rural economies. The programme is being funded by the Federal Government in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), with an initial investment of $530 million.
According to Goje, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, himself a son of the North East, recently flagged off Phase 1 of the project in Kaduna State without any provision for his home zone. He noted that seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were selected, including two zones each for the North West (Kaduna, Kano) and South West (Ogun, Oyo), while the South South, South East, and North Central got one each.
“It is disheartening that the zone known for livestock, crop production, and a strong desire to industrialize its agricultural value chain has been overlooked in a programme that is not only a presidential priority but also central to national development,” Goje said.
The lawmakers urged the Federal Government to revisit the selection process and include the North East in the SAPZ rollout, stressing that equitable distribution of projects is critical for national cohesion and sustainable development.
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