The African Development Bank (AfDB) and its partners have mobilized $2.2 billion (about N3.4 trillion) to implement the second phase of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) across 24 states in Nigeria.
This was disclosed by the outgoing President of AfDB, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, in a paper presented at the 2025 Standard Chartered Bank Africa Summit recently held in Lagos.
According to Adesina, the fund will support the rollout of the next phase of the initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria’s agricultural sector through value chain development and industrialization.
He recalled that the bank and its partners had supported the launch of the special agro-industrial processing zones in the first eight States – Ogun, Oyo, Cross Rivers, Imo, Kaduna, Kwara, Kano and the Federal Capital Territory-.
Boosting food security and job creation
Adesina, a former Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, said the initiative would revolutionize Nigeria’s agricultural sector by enhancing food security, boosting domestic production and creating thousands of employments.
According to him, investments are needed to unlock the agricultural potential in Nigeria and Africa in general, especially for value addition to agricultural commodities.
To achieve that, he emphasized the need for the development of industrial platforms that would allow the continent to move up the agricultural value chains.
“The AfDB is investing massively in the development of Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones across Africa, enabled with infrastructure to support the establishment of industries to process and add value across a wide range of agricultural products,” Adesina said.
Breakdown of AfDB and partner commitments
He added that the bank has committed over $934 million towards the development of the special agro-industrial processing zones.
“We have mobilized co-financing of 938 million dollar from partners, including the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Islamic Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and the West African Development Bank.
“We have also launched together with partners, the Alliance for Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones to accelerate the development of these zones across Africa, with $3 billion in commitments,’ he said.
The AfDB President also disclosed that development of the special agro-industrial processing zones is ongoing in 27 sites across 11 countries in Africa.
What you should know
The first phase of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) was designed to boost food production, reduce post-harvest losses, and attract agro-industrial investments by providing enabling infrastructure in rural farming communities.
The initiative also aimed to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs through value chain activities such as processing, packaging, logistics, and export.
This initial phase was launched in eight locations: Ogun, Oyo, Cross River, Imo, Kaduna, Kwara, Kano, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
