FG, IFAD, AfDB to boost food production with SAPZ programme 

Federal Government, International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, and African Development Bank, AfDB, have resolved to boost food production and transform rural economy with the Special Agro-Industrial Zones, SAPZ, programme.  Speaking at the first joint FGN/IFAD Supervision Wrap-up Event for the SAPZ programme, the National Programme Coordinator, Dr Kabir Yusuf, announced the successful launch of a pilot project in Kano State. Yusuf emphasized the broader goals of the programme, which include diversifying Nigeria’s economy through agriculture and attracting investments. The SAPZ Programme, is a key initiative of the Tinubu-led administration’s ‘Renewed Hope’ Agenda, is set to transform Nigeria’s agricultural landscape, which in the pilot, 7,398 farmers were profiled, with 1,000 of the most vulnerable farmers receiving support in the production of rice and tomatoes. Specifically, 505 farmers in Kura Local Government focused on rice, while 504 in Ogoi Local Government worked on tomato production.
A crucial aspect of the SAPZ initiative is connecting these farmers with offtakers—agro-industries that will purchase their produce at competitive prices. Following extensive negotiations, agreements were signed to ensure that the farmers’ hard work translates into reliable income, addressing one of the significant challenges faced by smallholder farmers. He said “With the highest buy-in from the presidency and commitment from various state governments, I am optimistic that by 2025, we will achieve our targets and significantly improve food security in Nigeria.” Country Director, IFAD, Dede Ekoue, in her remarks was sure that with the implementation of the pilot phase of the SAPZ Programme in Kano State there is hope for the future of Nigeria’s agricultural sector. According to Ekoue, the progress made in the pilot phase of the SAPZ in Kano State is very impressive, as she pointed out that the Accelerated Pilot Intervention, API, in Kano State indicated that it is a successful model for the SAPZ Programme, which definitely would positively impact on small-holder farmers and boost their productivity.
IFAD’s Country Director maintained that the establishment of the Commodity Alliance Forum, CAF, which serves as a platform promotes and strengthens the market linkage between farmers and agro-industries in the area, saying the signing of Memoranda of Understanding, MOUs, between agro-industries and farmer organizations remains pivotal to sustaining the market in the nation’s agribusiness space. She also acknowledged the importance of SAPZ’s partnership with state and local governments, which basically such move would facilitate more cooperation with the Ministries of Agriculture at the State level in order to achieve the goals of the SAPZ Programme. “By creating these demonstration plots, the SAPZ project has provided small farmers with a practical, hands-on approach to learning about best agriculture practices, leveraging the leadership of farmer organizations,” she said. According to her, “SAPZ has reached, through the pilot, 1,009 farmers, and we know that for next year, the ambition is to have 24,000 beneficiaries across Ogun and Ibadan. 
“And we need to mobilize all our energies, knowledge, expertise, and experience to really do this qualitative job to reach 24,000 beneficiaries by the end of 2025.” Also, she (Ekoue) lauded the several institutions’ partnerships to support the SAPZ pilot, specially, in smart agriculture and nutrition training as they are the cornerstones of the project. The AfDB’s Chief Agro-Industry Officer, Tabi Kari Kari, commended IFAD’s commitment and effort, while expressing optimism that with the SAPZ rural areas would be transformed from “zones of misery to zones of prosperity”, and added many States are expressing interest in joining SAPZ’s phase two.  In a remark, the Kano State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Danjuma Mahmoud, commended the programme, saying the potential of it would galvanize the inclusion and productivity of small-holder farmers in the economic growth and development of the country. “In Kano alone, SAPZ has set a target to impact an additional 14,000 farmers by September 2025. Our State has a strong network of smallholder farmers, and we are committed to leveraging SAPZ resources to meet these targets quickly”, Mahmoud assured.