In a bold move to accelerate agricultural transformation in Nigeria, IITA Director General and CGIAR Regional Director for Africa, Dr Simeon Ehui, joined the Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, Honorable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari – representing Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima, and the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, and other dignitaries at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Oyo State Agribusiness Industrial Hub – the first Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) in Southwest Nigeria.
Held at Atan-Ijaiye, the event brought together prominent dignitaries, underscoring a shared national and regional commitment to leveraging agribusiness for food security, job creation, and sustainable economic growth.
The SAPZ program, spearheaded by the AfDB, aims to catalyze agricultural industrialization by developing agro-based hubs in rural areas. These zones are strategically designed to harness local agricultural strengths, close value chain gaps, and boost processing and value addition.
Governor Makinde described the hub as a game-changer for Oyo State and the nation. “These hubs are not standalone structures,” he emphasized. “They are deliberately designed as interconnected anchors of our agribusiness ecosystem. They bring producers closer to processors, and link farms to markets.”
Dr Ehui commended the initiative, noting its potential to catalyze inclusive growth. “This hub will unlock new opportunities for youth and women farmers, agripreneurs, and rural communities. It’s a model for engaging the private sector and fostering meaningful employment,” he said.
Dr Adesina highlighted the SAPZ program’s overarching goals: “Our objective is clear—to reduce post-harvest losses, improve logistics and infrastructure, connect production with processing and markets, transform rural economies, and, most importantly, create jobs.”
Recognizing the hub’s importance to agricultural development, Senator Kyari said, ‘This initiative isn’t just an infrastructure project, but an indication that Nigeria can transform agriculture.’
Also speaking at the event, AfDB’s Director General for Nigeria, Dr Abdul Kamara, provided context to the SAPZ vision. “SAPZs are purpose-built to dismantle the bottlenecks in agro-industrial processing. They represent a vital initiative capable of unlocking Nigeria’s full agricultural potential,” he said.
The SAPZ will be located on a 300-hectare Ijaiye site in Oyo State, part of a larger 3,000-hectare development. The hub will host diverse facilities, including a wholesale agrifood market, crop and livestock production zones, and state-of-the-art processing infrastructure.
IITA’s involvement in the SAPZ groundbreaking ceremony highlights the institute’s commitment to strategic partnerships that foster food security, economic resilience, and inclusive agricultural growth across Africa.
Contributed by ‘Timilehin Osunde
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