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Nigeria began on Tuesday the journey to significantly transform its food and agriculture sector by launching the construction of the $510 million Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) financed by the African Development Bank and development partners.
Thousands of residents of Kaduna State in northern Nigeria braved the scorching sun and a late afternoon downpour, first time to rain in more than six months, to witness the country’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President of the African Development Bank Group Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and the area Governor Uba Sani lead the groundbreaking for the first of the eight SAPZ projects.
The other seven states that form part of the Phase One program are Cross River, where groundbreaking will be held on Thursday 10 April, Kano, Kwara, Imo, Ogun, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory. Preparations are underway for the second phase of the program, which will cover the remaining 28 States.
The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones are expected to transform Nigeria’s rural areas into thriving economies that will end years of importing food that can be produced locally, boost national food security, produce for the export market and create jobs for millions of young Nigerians.
Vice President Shettima said the SAPZ program represents a national imperative under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu: “We are not merely breaking ground. We are building the infrastructure to feed our people, empower our youth, and fulfil the boundless promise of our nation. This is about the resilience of our farmers, the brilliance of our entrepreneurs, and our resolve to craft a future that thrives, guided by the African Development Bank’s leadership. The world races toward innovation. Nigeria will lead, not follow, with this zone as our foundation.”
“Dr Adesina has been pursuing this dream for the past fifteen years, and dreams when persistent are capable of turning into realities. He’s simply one of our best, pregnant with ideas, and he’s someone with whom I can pay to spend time,” said Shettima.
Adesina, who previously served as Nigeria’s Agriculture Minister, said the groundbreaking celebrated a long-held dream: “I never stopped dreaming that the day would come when Nigeria would have the Staple Crop Processing Zones to change the fortunes of farmers, revive the rural areas and turn Nigeria into an agricultural processing powerhouse,” he added.
“Now, 10 years later, the dream for the Staple Crop Processing Zones is alive in Nigeria, finally, now as Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones. What a great day for Nigeria! So, you can understand my level of excitement and elation today,” said Adesina, who was accompanied by his wife Grace Yemisi Adesina.
To boost resources for the financing of these zones across African countries, the African Development Bank has committed over $934 million for the development of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) and mobilized co-financing of over $938 million from partners, including the Islamic Development Bank and the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD).
To make the SAPZs succeed across Nigeria, Adesina spelled out five critical enablers, including the need for continued strong political will and commitment at the highest levels, cross-ministerial cooperation and collaboration, and continuity in government policies. This is in addition to codifying the SAPZ program and establishing an SAPZ Authority, with both backed by an act of parliament, Adesina said.
Kaduna Governor Senator Uba Sani said his state government had made agriculture the cornerstone of its development agenda. “Over the past two years, we have backed our commitment with unprecedented investment,” he said. “In the 2023 budget that we inherited, agriculture received just 1.4 billion Naira ($885,000), a mere 0.4% of the State budget. However, in 2024, we increased this to 23.4 billion Naira ($14.8 million). In 2025, we took it even further approving 74.2 billion Naira ($47 million) for agriculture, representing over 10% of the State budget.”
Kaduna is the country’s leading producer of ginger, maize, and tomatoes. It is the second largest producer of wheat and has vast livestock herds.
The African Development Bank is investing $200 million in Phase One of the SAPZ. The Islamic Development Bank is contributing $150 million, the International Fund for Agricultural Development $100 million, and the Green Climate Fund $60 million.
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, called it “a pivotal leap, harnessing private capital to enrich rural life,” while the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, expressed gratitude: “This Bank-led project honours our people.”
“We are happy today, because the SAPZ has promised to provide quality seedlings and other inputs. They will also buy from us as farmers.” Hannafu Emmanuel, a farmer, said.
The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones are under implementation in 27 sites across 11 countries including Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, Madagascar, Togo, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Mali.
Other dignitaries attending the event included former Vice President Namadi Sambo and Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe.
Bank Group President Adesina was accompanied by the Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development Dr Beth Dunford, the Bank’s Executive Director for Nigeria Oyebode Oyetunde, Director General for Nigeria Dr Abdul Kamara, Prof Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Senior Special Adviser on Industrialisation and Director Richard Ofori-Mante, Director of the Agricultural Finance and Rural Development Department.