Nigeria has launched a new Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme in Oyo State, representing another milestone in the country’s efforts to boost agricultural sector’s productivity, create jobs and catalyze rural industrialization.
The ceremony, which held in the Ijaiye community near Ibadan on Saturday, was the President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina who was making his final official visit to Nigeria in that role, Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde; Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Sen. Abubakar Kyari; and other dignitaries.
The Oyo site is the third to be developed under the national SAPZ programme, and the first in South West after the earlier launches of the programme in Kaduna and Cross River States in April 2025.
Speaking at the forum, the AfDB President said: “I believe that Nigeria can and must be a global powerhouse in agriculture. But you need investments to be able to do that. You also need industrial platforms that will connect primary agricultural production all the way to how you store products, how you process and add value, and how you ship to be able to sell. And that is what the special agro-industrial processing zones are really about.”
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Adesina underscored the transformative vision behind SAPZs, dscribing them as essential to unlocking agricultural value chains and lifting millions out of poverty.
The development finance expert further clarified: “The export of primary commodities is the door to poverty. The export of value-added commodities and products is a highway to wealth. It doesn’t really matter what you have in terms of agricultural commodities, whether it is cocoa or coffee, or grains; if you’re not adding value to it, it’s actually going to make you poor. So, what we’re doing here is to be able to unlock that value.
“Our goal is very clear. It’s to reduce massive post-harvest losses, develop logistics, and improve linkages between farm production, agro-processing, and value addition, transform rural economies, and, of course, to create jobs. What we are witnessing today would not have happened without intense collaboration”, Adesina added.
Reflecting on his 10-year tenure as Group President of the AfDB, he spoke on the achievements of the bank during his tenure, including the bank’s capital base which surged from $93 billion in 2015 to $318 billion in 2024, as well as the two-time ranking of its sovereign portfolio as the most transparent among multilateral development banks globally.
In his keynote address during the launch of the programme Oyo State Governor hailed the launch as a fulfilment of promises made.
Makinde said: “Today is about promises kept. It is a strategic step on the journey of sustainable development. These hubs bring producers closer to processors and link farms to markets. They reflect our government’s belief that agriculture is not just about food, it is about infrastructure, enterprise and national relevance. We’re building a future where agriculture feeds not just homes, but industries; where it doesn’t just sustain families but entire economies.”
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, who represented the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, highlighted the SAPZ initiative’s alignment with national priorities.
He said: “Today’s event exemplifies the spirit of partnership and shared vision that is vital to our nation’s progress. The SAPZ initiative is one of the cornerstones of the renewed hope agenda championed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a vision rooted in restoring Nigeria’s dignity, unlocking our vast potentials and creating opportunities for every citizen.”
Also, the chairperson of the Ijaiye Farm Settlers Association, David Olatunji, described the launching of the SAPZ programme as a memorable opportunity for the community and the state, adding that “we have a lot of unbroken forests around us, and the farmers are ready to work!”
In his remarks, an agripreneur, Dr. Adebowale Adeyeye, said: “The SAPZ project in Ijaiye is a strategic boost for businesses like ours. With targeted government support in areas like power, road access, and security, it creates the kind of enabling environment we need to scale operations, reduce costs, and attract long-term investment. It’s a move that will strengthen agribusiness value chains and enhance overall competitiveness.”
The SAPZ Programme is working to transform Nigeria’s rural economy into zones of prosperity, by facilitating industrial processing, expanding market access, and attracting private sector investment.
The SAPZ initiative, which is a flagship of the AfDB’s ‘Feed Africa’ strategy launched by the AfDB President in 2015, and financed in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank (isDB), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and Nigeria’s federal and state governments, are being implemented in 28 sites across 11 African countries, with the Nigeria programme being the largest.
The financiers have committed $538 million to the first phase of the programme in Nigeria , covering seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The National Coordinator of SAPZ Nigeria, Dr. Kabir Yusuf, hinted of the plans to expand the programme to additional 10 states from September 2025, to flag-off the second phase that will be covering other states in the country.
The Oyo SAPZ is covering 3,000 hectares, with 300 hectares designated for immediate development, and is expected to host up to 40 agro-processing industries, create over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs, and benefit half a million farmers.
