Minister rejects N’East lawmakers declare of exclusion from SAPZ programme

The Minister of Agriculture and Meals Safety, Senator Abubakar Kyari, on Saturday, dismissed the declare by the North-East Caucus of the Nationwide Meeting that the area was excluded from the $530m Particular Agro-Industrial Processing Zone programme of the Federal Authorities.

Final Thursday, the North-East lawmakers raised considerations over the exclusion of its area from the SAPZ programme, saying it was unfair for the nation’s greatest livestock hub to be disregarded of such an initiative.

The Caucus, which comprised senators and members of the Home of Representatives from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe, additionally begged President Bola Tinubu to handle the problem for the sake of equity and fairness.

They made the enchantment on the finish of an emergency closed-door assembly held on the Nationwide Meeting Complicated in Abuja.

Nonetheless, in a press release issued in Abuja, Kyari debunked the declare, saying three states from the Northeast, particularly Gombe, Borno and Bauchi, have expressed their curiosity in collaborating within the second part of the programme.

The minister additional recalled that on the graduation of the primary part of the programme, solely eight states indicated curiosity in collaborating.

He mentioned, “We’re glad that they acknowledged the very progressive nature of the SAPZ as a groundbreaking change within the agricultural improvement agenda and precedence of President Bola Tinubu. The SAPZ programme was launched in 2022 based mostly on its conceptual design of Section One in 2019.

“This challenge is a Federal Authorities enabled initiative with subscription by the State Governments of the Federation. Due to this fact, all State Governments have been anticipated to individually Categorical Curiosity within the programme.”

On the choice course of, the minister defined that in 2019, every state governor was notified in writing to specific curiosity with an connected eligibility standards that may allow them to take part in part one of many programme.

Kyari mentioned upon receipt of their expression of curiosity, a joint crew comprising the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Finance, and the African Improvement Financial institution carried out a mission to every of the states to confirm the fulfilment of the eligibility standards as a range course of.

He added that at this stage, solely eight states, particularly Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, Imo, Cross River, and Federal Capital Territory, have been certified to take part.

“We reviewed the event potential of this programme below the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President and determined that no state will likely be left behind. Consequently, the Vice President’s first worldwide mission was to the Rome Meals System Summit, the place he galvanised extra funding to accommodate extra states.

“He additionally launched into a second mission to the World Meals Worth assembly in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, the place he obtained a dedication of 1 billion USD from the President of the African Improvement Financial institution for the only objective of bringing on board extra states,” he famous.

The minister defined additional that part two of the programme had already commenced in earnest, including that he had personally communicated to all of the states that aren’t in part one, notifying them of the programme.

He added, “Consequently, now we have obtained Expressions of Curiosity from 27 states, however solely 10 absolutely complied with the eligibility standards, which incorporates three States from the North-East particularly Gombe Borno and Bauchi States for the primary tranche of part two, as they are going to be three tranches of onboarding states within the second part.

“So, the sweeping assertion by the Caucus that the North East was fully excluded shouldn’t be right. We’re additionally assured that extra states will do what is important to fulfil the eligibility standards to allow us to seize them within the second tranche of funding of Section Two.

“I due to this fact additionally wish to enchantment to the legislators, particularly the North East NASS Caucus, to enchantment to the opposite governors of the North East, particularly Taraba, Yobe and Adamawa, to reinvigorate their curiosity within the programme and to make sure they fulfil the eligibility standards for the second part.”