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FACAN President hails the
development
The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Federal
Government FG) are set to inject $500 million into the development of four Special
Agro-Processing Zones (SAPZs) across the country before August, 2020 for the
purpose of the private sector active participation in value addition to
agricultural produce.
This was disclosed by the AfDB Senior Special Adviser
(SSA) on industrialization, Prof. Oyebanji Oyelaran Oyeyinka during a two day
workshop held in Abuja last week.
Oyeyinka stated that the project worth is $500 million, and
it would be private sector driven with its network spread across the four
geo-political zones in the country towards enabling farmers and other stakeholders
at the value chains of the agricultural productivity to have access to the
facilities at the sites for enhanced productivity and competitiveness.
AfDB SSA said that the fund for the SAPZs development is
expected to be disbursed by August of this year through the private sector
partners saying “the processes we are putting in place now are the requirements
by the bank. We have to do identification, reappraisal and write a report, to
make sure that the clients are involved. We are hoping that by July or August,
we will go to the board and get the money disbursed in Nigeria, because it is
already budgeted.
He stated further that “for us, the central actors are the
private sector people, we don’t want to make it a government thing, and we want
to make sure it is private-sector driven. Companies like the Flour Mill,
Dangote Groups; we are talking to all of them, even the smaller ones to come on
board. Those are the ones that will set up factories and farms and so many
other things. We also have the Bank of
Industry (BoI), Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), Nigeria
Incentive- based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), and
National Sovereign Authority which will be helping us to package infrastructure’’
The Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono speaking on the
occasion emphasised on the strategic
role the SAPZs would play as regards economic
diversification cum repositioning for sustainable economic growth and
commercial agriculture development.
According to the Minister, “SAPZs will boost value addition
to Agricultural produce, improve competitiveness and in effect, reduce food
imports, assure food sufficiency, create jobs for teeming Nigerian youths and
in turn grow the nation’s economy by generating more revenue’’
The Managing Director, Bank of Industry (BOI) Olukayode
Pitan in his remarks said that his bank had spent not less than N200 billion on
SAPZs in the last four years and about 1800 women and young people have
benefited from it through employment creation pointing there was no need for
Nigeria to be importing foods in the face of abundant natural blessings.
According to the BOI boss “We have spent N200bn on
Agro-processing industries in the past four years and 1800 women and young
people have benefited from it through employment. There is no need for food
importation. We need to stand up and be the leaders of Africa that we are made
to be.”
Meanwhile, the President, Federation of Agricultural
Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN) Dr. Victor Iyama has hailed the
development saying it was the best way to go while speaking with foodfarmnews
saying ‘’ the step taken by the FG and AfDB was the right way to go as farmers
will be well attended to during the course of the project’’
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