A new Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) has been launched in Oyo State, Nigeria, as part of a major initiative to transform the country’s agricultural sector and create jobs.
According to a statement on Sunday from the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) the Oyo SAPZ is projected to host up to 40 agro-processing industries. It is expected to create more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs and benefit half a million farmers.
The Oyo SAPZ is the third such zone to be established under the national program and the first in Nigeria’s southwest region. The program is a collaborative effort financed by the AfDB, the Islamic Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and Nigerian federal and state governments.
The first phase of the program, which covers seven states and the Federal Capital Territory, has a total commitment of $538 million.
Covering 3,000 hectares, with 300 hectares set for immediate development, the Oyo state governor Mr. Seyi Makinde described the launch as a fulfillment of promises, stating that the hubs will bring producers and processors closer and link farms to markets.
He emphasized that the government believes “agriculture is not just about food, it is about infrastructure, enterprise and national relevance”.
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, who was making his final official visit to Nigeria as the AfDB president, stressed that exporting primary commodities leads to poverty, while exporting value-added products is a “highway to wealth”.
The goal of the zones, he said, is to reduce post-harvest losses, develop logistics, improve linkages between farm production and agro-processing, and transform rural economies by creating jobs.
He also noted that the SAPZ initiative is a flagship of the Bank’s ‘Feed Africa’ strategy, which he launched in 2015. The Nigerian program is the largest of the 28 sites being developed across 11 African countries.
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, who represented Vice President Kashim Shettima, stated that the SAPZ initiative is a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “renewed hope agenda” to restore Nigeria’s dignity and unlock its potential.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kabir Yusuf, the National Coordinator of SAPZ Nigeria, announced plans to expand the program to an additional 10 states starting in September 2025, marking the beginning of the second phase.
