By Joy Odor
The Lawmakers under the aegis of the National Assembly North-East Caucus have decried the exclusion of their region from the Federal Government’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) project, a $530 million initiative designed to revolutionise Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
This is as they even warned that failure to include the region could widen regional disparities and further alienate communities already facing developmental challenges.
The North East Caucus who made the demand at a press briefing on Thursday at the National Assembly
comprises Senators and Members of the House of Representatives from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe States.
Speaking on behalf of the Caucus, the Chairman, Senator Danjuma Goje, Sarkin Yakin Gombe demanded immediate inclusion in the $530 million SAPZ project initiative, describing the exclusion as unfair and a major oversight.
The Caucus argued that despite the North East’s vast agricultural potential, including significant contributions to Nigeria’s livestock and crop production, the region was left out of the initial beneficiaries.
According to him, the omission is a major concern and contradicts the vision of inclusive national development.
They called for the immediate reconsideration and inclusion of the North East in the SAPZ programme, stressed that doing so is essential for equity, fairness, and the realisation of the administration’s goal to industrialise agriculture and create widespread employment.
The Lawmakers therefore reiterated their full support for the government’s agricultural agenda but emphasized that no part of the country should be left behind in the drive toward sustainable economic transformation.
They commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for making the programme a reality, but strongly criticized the exclusion of the region from what he described as a “presidential priority project.
“The emergency meeting was convened sequel to the exclusion of our zone from the all-important programme of the Federal Government, the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ), despite the enormous potential of our zone in all spheres of agriculture and livestock of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“In view of the seriousness of this matter, the members of our caucus, even though the parliament is on recess, cut short their holidays to attend this meeting and express our reservations about our region’s exclusion from the programme.
“Our region, the North East, is the largest geopolitical zone in Nigeria by landmass and is a key player in agriculture and livestock. This omission is a major concern and contradicts the vision of inclusive national development.
“For a start, $530 million is to be provided by the Federal Government, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for the SAPZ programme.
“On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, His Excellency, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, GCON, in Kaduna State, flagged off the construction of Phase 1 of the SAPZ as part of the present administration’s plan to industrialise Nigeria’s agricultural sector and create sustainable jobs.
“Seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been selected for the programme. The North West and South West have two processing zones each – Kaduna, Kano, Ogun, and Oyo states. The South South, South East and North Central have one processing zone each.
“Despite its enormous agricultural potential, the North East is conspicuously missing from the list of states allocated to the processing zones.
“SAPZs aim to transform Nigeria’s agriculture landscape through innovation, private-sector investments, and strategic public partnerships.
“The zones are designed to create agro-industrial hubs that integrate farmers with processors, reduce post-harvest losses and expand rural economic opportunities.
“Our region, the North East, is known for its enormous livestock and crop growth, contributing significantly to our country’s economic well-being and Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“It is against this backdrop that we are extremely worried that our zone is excluded from the SAPZ programme, regarded as a “presidential priority project” and a direct response to the longstanding challenges facing Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, including poor infrastructure, limited access to markets, and low-value addition.
At the end of the meeting, we resolved as follows:
“Commend the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu for making this programme a reality. According to the President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, agro-industrial zones began during his tenure as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture over a decade ago.
“Lament the exclusion of the North East Geopolitical Zone from the processing zones despite its enormous agricultural potential cutting across all sector value chains.
“Appeal for the immediate inclusion of the North East Geo-political Zone in the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ).
“This is not only for fairness and inclusivity but for the actualisation of the lofty ideals of the present administration to industrialise Nigeria’s agricultural sector and create sustainable jobs in the country” they bemoaned.
