By Dikachi Elemba, in Owerri.
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Launches, takes off end of February
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, the focal governor for four states in Nigeria for the unveiling of the first phase of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme, has pledged the full commitment of his administration and the state to it.
Imo, Kaduna, Ogun and Oyo states are piloting the agro-industrial programme sponsored by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in collaboration with other development banks and the federal government of Nigeria, seen as a veritable strategy in the transformation of the Nigerian agriculture sector, through industrialization.
In Owerri, the Imo State capital, Governor Uzodinma, in a statement issued by Oguwike Nwachuku, his chief press secretary, said the commitment, which would come by way of infrastructure and management, would be to the level required to attract global and national investors for the delivery of the SAPZ programmes.
Governors Nasir el Rufai of Kaduna State, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, with Uzodinma had signed the SAPZ agreement with the AfDB team led by its president, Akinwunmi Adesina in Cote d’ Ivoire, thus paving the way for the take-off of the programme in four weeks time.
At the signing ceremony where they met with Adesina and his team, as well as representatives of the development partners and the federal government, Uzodimma leading the team of governors comprising, Nasir el- Rufai of Kaduna State, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, reaffirmed their unalloyed commitment to a government-enabled, private sector-driven SAPZ implementation model, as agreed by all parties.
A strong federal government team comprising Doyin Salami, chief economic adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, Uche Orji, managing director of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and Farouk Mohammed Gumel, NSIA chairman, was in attendance at the meeting with the AfDB team that included, apart from Adesina, B.S.Tshabalala, senior vice president and Beth Dunford, vice president of agriculture.
The SAPZ is a government enabled, private sector driven action plan aimed at quickening the transformation of the Nigerian agricultural sector through industrialization. The African Development Bank and a consortium of international organisations are driving the implementation of the programme.
“As the focal governor of SAPZ, I have dedicated the full instrumentality of my office to the provision of an enabling environment for the kick off of the programme,” Uzodinma said.
Uzodinma said he desires that the programme becomes a veritable strategy that will enhance agriculture and industrialization in Nigeria, and urged both the institutions and states selected for the first phase of the programme to work in concert to attract global, regional and national investors to fully populate the zones.
All parties in attendance at the signing of the agreement reaffirmed their strong commitment to the shared goal of a stable and prosperous Nigeria and underscored the need for a speedy, successful delivery of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme.
The governors, in particular, reaffirmed their unalloyed commitment to a government-enabled, private sector-driven SAPZ implementation model, as agreed by all the stakeholders.
The role of NSIA, chaired by Farouk Gumel, was recognised as critical to an effective private sector engagement and overall efficient implementation of the SAPZ programme, hence, the Nigerian government representatives signed a letter of intent re-affirming NSIA’s role in procuring transaction advisers, design consultants, zone construction companies, and facility management service providers, all geared towards ensuring an efficient, speedy, transparent and open process, Nwachukwu noted in the statement.
Ministers of leading implementation ministries of the SAPZ programme and the governors of the states included in the programme’s first phase will also be in attendance at the official launch in Abuja by President Muhammadu Buhari in February.
