The African Development Bank as well as the International Fund for Agricultural Development (AFDB/IFAD) have described Ogun State as the most suitable place for the Special Agricultural-Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme.
This was disclosed on Wednesday while representatives of the two organizations were received by Governor Dapo Abiodun in Abeokuta.
Saga Gist reports that the two bodies, led by Dr. Chuma Ezedinma, were in Ogun for a pre-appraisal mission for the development of the processing zone,
Speaking, the Country Director of IFAD, Dr. Patrick Habamenshi, urged Gov Abiodun to support the team with all necessary logistics required towards a successful implementation of the said project.
In his words, the governor made it known that the state had good road networks, power plant, rail, deep sea-port, gas pipeline and other factors that could promote industrialization.
According to him, with the current level of infrastructure in the state and the concentration of agro-investors, coupled with the nearness to raw materials and large market, “Ogun is naturally a SAPZ location and suitable for SAPZ innovation and case study.”
Abiodun maintained that the state was witnessing a level of coordination and agro-transformation, making it the largest hub for both conventional industries and Agro Industries located near Lagos.
“The improved coordination of aggregation, processing and access to large markets that will accompany the much desired SAPZ, will transform lives, commerce and well-being of people in Ogun State, Nigeria, Africa and the World at large”, he said.
He added that his government had earmarked 20,000 hectares of land including advance level brown field activities, saying the state, has through this initiative, taken the AfDB SAPZ initiative to a higher level.
He emphasised that the construction of a cargo airport by the state government would complement export opportunities and nationwide supplies.
Abiodun stated that Ogun was happy to have been chosen as one of the benefitting states in the country, stressing that the project was in tandem with the administration’s economic agenda.
“I note with great pleasure, our agenda to pursue international collaborations, which is leading us, with hopes from the AfDB SAPZ initiative, just like our collaboration with IITA which has helped us deliver on key Agricultural outputs, with extraordinary performances,” he stated.
The governor narrated that 13,000 were linked credit market and jobs in the Federal Government of Nigeria/International Fund for Agricultural Development’s Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP).
Since the inception of his administration, it was disclosed that over 80,000 people (mostly youths) were registered for Agricultural value chain opportunities, 15,000 linked to credit in the FGN/CBN Ogun Anchor Borrowers Programme and others.
“The gathering of global agricultural authorities and experts, as part of our administration’s bid for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) Project, is an indication of our government’s continuous effort to seek partnership and collaboration, in its resolve to support all levels of agricultural activities to achieve food security”, Abiodun submitted.
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