IBADAN – The Federal Government delegations that were on assessment visit to Oyo state have commended the state Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde over his commitment to the proposed Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) project at Ijaye Atan Village Akinyele local government, Ibadan. Governor Makinde was commended by Dr. Oyebola Yejide Akande, the Assistant Director, African Financial Institutions, Federal Ministry of Finance, International Economic Relations Department, and the National Program Coordinator for the Nigeria Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) program, Dr. Kabir Yusuf during an assessment visit to Atan Village, the site of the Ijaye Agro-industrial Processing Hub on Saturday, 19th, July 2025. Ijaye Agro-industrial Processing Hub upon completion will improve the lives of indigenous farmers in Oyo state l,. especially the farmers in Ijaye and it’s environs. The visiting team also include officials from the African Development Bank (AFDB) and were conducted round the site by the Acting State Coordinator for SAPZ, Dr Ajetunmobi Akinwumi, who represented the Director General of Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA), Dr. Debo Akande alongside other personnel of the agency. In her interview with journalists shortly after the tour of the site, Dr. Oyebola Yejide Akande highlighted the importance of the assessment visit, noting that the team were on a supervision mission for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ), Phase 1 states. She said, “We’ve been to Ogun State, Cross River, and now we are in Oyo State to assess the level of preparedness. The goal is to evaluate what infrastructure is already in place and what still needs to be developed. “Although some basic infrastructure already exists, which we refer to as “ground-fill” there are critical components that must still be built, such as the agro-industrial processing hub, Agricultural Transformation Centre (ATC), and the access roads that connect these hubs to surrounding communities. “For example, in Atan village, where the special agro-industrial processing hub will be sited, there’s a need for access roads to enable smooth transportation of produce and encourage private sector participation. Without good road access, it becomes difficult for investors and farmers to move goods in and out efficiently. “The state government has shown a strong level of commitment right from the start. Our role, alongside the Federal Government, which secured this loan on behalf of the state, is to ensure the people of Oyo State benefit from this initiative. “The essence of this collaboration is to improve livelihoods and promote inclusive development through agriculture. The arrangements under the SAPZ are designed to ensure that beneficiaries, especially those in rural farming communities are not shortchanged. They should be compensated fairly and rewarded in proportion to their contributions and involvement in farming activities.” In his remarks, Dr. Kabir Yusuf said, “We are here on a supervision mission with the African Development Bank and the Federal Ministry of Finance to assess the progress and evaluate how the funds disbursed so far have been utilized. “We recently visited Ijaye, where a massive agro-industrial park is being planned. It’s about 100 hectares in size. With the support of the state government, we’ve guided them through the procurement process for developing the zone, and that process has already been concluded. We’re here to ensure there are no encumbrances so that work can proceed smoothly. “We also visited the Fashola Agribusiness Hub, which has recently been designated by the state as an SAPZ zone. It’s a hub of various agricultural activities, dairy, cashew processing, greenhouse tomato production, cassava, and more. There’s already a joint MoU with FrieslandCampina WAMCO to develop the dairy value chain. “The overall goal of the SAPZ is to ensure that agricultural commodities are not only produced in Nigeria but also processed here to add value before export. What we’ve been doing in all the participating states is to focus on indigenous crops and commodities, and support states with funding to improve productivity and develop local processing capacity. “The aim is to produce finished goods that can go directly to the market shelves, which will help reduce and eventually eliminate the need to import agricultural products. This aligns perfectly with the administration’s ambition of transitioning Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy. In the next few years, we hope to be exporting many of these processed commodities and earning valuable foreign exchange. “The project is a collaboration between the Federal Government and the state government. The Federal Government has already disbursed funds, and procurement for contractors has been concluded. In fact, the government is considering August 2nd for the groundbreaking ceremony, though that’s still being finalized. Once that is done, the contractor will move to site and construction will begin in earnest.”From our perspective, this is a loan-based financing program provided to the state, and I must say the Oyo State government has followed the process judiciously. Governor Seyi Makinde has been extremely magnanimous and proactive. “What’s particularly commendable is that, after we agreed to concentrate the SAPZ loan financing on the Ijaye site, the Governor decided to use state funds to execute the development of the Eruwa agribusiness hub, which was initially meant to be part of the federal financing. That’s a novel and bold move. It shows the Governor’s strong commitment to agriculture and to the people. “The beauty of the SAPZ is that it aims to uplift citizens and eradicate rural poverty by transforming rural communities into economic hubs and secondary cities. There will be a lot of economic activity, value addition, and employment generated in these areas. I truly commend Governor Seyi Makinde for his vision, proactiveness, and dedication to sustainable agricultural development.” Kabir stressed. Other members of the AFDB on the assessment visit include, Engr. Ibrahim Bashir Gaya(Co-task Manager AFDB); Bernard Onzima (Principal Agro-Industry Officer AFDB), Dr. Emmanuel Chisesa (Regional Procurement Coordinator for AFDB Nigeria). The team also paid visit to Fasola Agro-industrial Processing Hub, and they’re expected to meet with the Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde to brief him about the outcome of their assessment visit.
