The Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, has described agro-processing as a critical enabler of Nigeria’s non-oil export drive and industrial transformation.
Enoh said this recently during the groundbreaking ceremony of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) in Calabar, Cross River State.
According to him, the initiative, driven by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in partnership with the Federal Government and other stakeholders, will it enhance food security and accelerate Nigeria’s journey toward industrial prosperity.
“I am glad to report that today the Ministry of Industry and that of Agriculture and Food Security are working together to secure the food prosperity of our countrymen and women.
“The collaboration is also to see the extent to which this can crystallise into industrial growth and development of our country.
“If you look at examples of all countries around the world that have achieved industrialisation, you will notice that they have had to move from agricultural growth, progress and development to attainment of industrial growth and prosperity.
“It is important that everybody understands and appreciates the fact that this event is actually going to crystalise into food security and industrial growth”, he said.
He further said SAPZs were instrumental in converting raw agricultural produce into finished goods for export, thus boosting Nigeria’s GDP and reducing dependence on oil revenue.
“We must move beyond celebrating the export of cocoa beans and start exporting finished cocoa products. That is how to unlock real economic growth”, he stated.
The minister challenged stakeholders to move the country from exporting primary products to processed goods.
“The SAPZ is the game-changer that will help us industrialise, create jobs, and increase exports of made-in-Nigeria goods”, he said.
Also speaking, Mr Abdul Kamara, AfDB’s Country Director for Nigeria, said that the SAPZ programme was one of the bank’s top priorities, with over five billion dollars in operations tied to its success.
“When I was deployed to Nigeria six months ago, the AfDB President, Akinwunmi Adesina, gave me a clear mandate, to untangle every impediment delaying the SAPZ.
“Today’s event is evidence of progress”, Kamara said.
He praised the collaboration between the federal and state governments, and development partners including the Islamic Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
“We are building a full end-to-end value chain that will transform Nigeria’s rural landscape into zones of economic prosperity,” he said.
The National Coordinator for the SAPZ project, Dr. Yusuf Kabir, said that the programme had now reached implementation stage with all transaction advisors onboarded in the eight participating states.
“A zone without investment is a stranded asset. The role of transaction advisors is to ensure these zones attract investors and deliver results,” he said.
Kabir commended the Cross River State government for its swift commitment to the project, noting that Gov. Bassey Otu showed leadership by taking ownership of a project he did not initiate.
“I have met all the governors involved, and he was the only one I did not need to meet twice. He took the project personally and gave it priority,” he said.
The SAPZ in Cross River is part of a broader nationwide initiative aimed at creating agricultural transformation centres that will stimulate private investment, reduce rural poverty, and improve food systems.