The Federal Government has committed $538.05 million to establish Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) across Nigeria, aimed at revolutionizing the nation’s food system and strengthening agricultural productivity. The initiative, announced by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, seeks to promote value addition, export growth, and private sector participation through strategic public-private partnerships.

Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the event, Vice President Kashim Shettima revealed that the government expects to attract an additional $1 billion in private investments by 2027, noting that the project will create jobs, reduce post-harvest losses by up to 80 percent, and drive rural industrialization. The Tinubu administration, he said, remains committed to transforming agriculture from subsistence to enterprise.

The agro-industrial zones are being supported by the African Development Bank, IFAD, and the Islamic Development Bank, among others. The government has also distributed 2,000 tractors and farm equipment nationwide to boost mechanization, underscoring President Tinubu’s vision of achieving food security and economic diversification through innovation and investment.