FCTA SAPZ targets 50,000 jobs in FCT – Minister

If the Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) in FCT is successfully implemented, it would guarantee about 50,000 direct and indirect jobs for the nation.

This was disclosed ster of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, during the flag-off ceremony for the distribution of agricultural inputs to FCT Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones project beneficiaries to transform the agricultural landscape of the FCT.

According to her, the project would focus on women who would constitute 40% of the beneficiaries.

The minister who was represented by the Mandate Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Lawani Geidam, identified food as the most essential need for human survival.

She noted that agriculture played a vital role in meeting human needs, adding that it remained the backbone of the economy by providing livelihoods for millions of people and ensuring food security for the nation.

Mahmoud, however, observed that farmers and agro-industrial entrepreneurs faced numerous and complex challenges, ranging from climate change, poor agricultural practices and access to market, stressing that the challenges require innovative solutions and collaborative efforts.

“It is for these reasons that the FCT Administration has fully embraced the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Project, an initiative that is in tune with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” predicated on injecting the much-needed manpower, resources and investments to reinvigorate the agricultural sector for sustainable development, she said.

“We are optimistic that the agricultural inputs being distributed today, comprising bull calves, animal feeds, crop seeds, fertilizers and crop protection chemicals and equipment, will serve as a vital catalyst for building a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector,” she added.

The minister, therefore, reaffirmed the FCT Administration’s unwavering commitment to supporting the successful implementation of the SAPZ project, adding that with over its 5-year duration, the project targets approximately 50,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries.

“it is truly gladdening to see that among the beneficiaries gathered here today are some of the 5,000 crop and livestock farmers who have been successfully profiled and cleared under the first phase of the SAPZ intervention,” she said.

She thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for creating the Ministry of Livestock Development, aimed at the development of the sector which had been neglected for a long.

In a remark, Geidam noted that the SAPZ was an initiative that sought to unlock the immense potential of the livestock sub-sector in the Federal Capital Territory by providing critical financing and support to drive the growth, productivity and sustainability of the sector.

Geidam who was represented by Mrs. Grace Adayilo, stated that two years into the project, the administration had made significant strides not only in an operational hub at the Paikon-Kore grazing reserve in Gwagwalada, Abuja, but also seeing substantial impacts with the construction of value addition projects.

She also noted that, beyond the training provided to various groups, the project would also provide funding for the operations of the groups in their respective vocations which is expected to reduce high cost of production, thereby enabling them to maximize earnings and improve their livelihood.

While presenting the overview of the FCT Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone Project, the Project Coordinator, FCT SAPZ, Hajia Umma Abubakar, stressed that the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) Project was a flagship initiative designed to revolutionize agriculture in Nigeria.

She noted that the project was designed to promote the livestock value chain and concentrate industrial processing and marketing of beef and dairy.

“In addition, it is aimed at developing the rural areas, increasing household income, foster job creation in rural agricultural communities, especially for the youths and women, enhancing food and nutrition security in FCT,” she noted.