Kaduna State has become the first in Nigeria to launch a Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ), a move that has drawn commendation from the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to Governor Uba Sani at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on Tuesday, Dr. Adesina praised Kaduna’s bold investments in agriculture, calling the state a trailblazer in agro-industrial development.
“You didn’t just put your money where your mouth is—you put your money where your mind and your body are,” Adesina declared to a round of applause from dignitaries and stakeholders present at the event.
The AfDB chief pointed to Kaduna’s agricultural budget increase from ₦1.4 billion to ₦74 billion as evidence of the political will and visionary leadership necessary for transforming the sector. “Kaduna’s leadership on this project reflects not just a vision for food security, but a roadmap for economic prosperity and inclusive development,” he said.
Describing Kaduna as “the first state to launch the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone in Nigeria,” Adesina noted the milestone was “a great day for us all.”
He also expressed admiration for the state’s leadership team. “Not only did we get hospitality here in Kaduna, I think we got maternity too—because your Deputy Governor is a medical doctor,” he quipped.
Adesina announced AfDB’s commitment to supporting Kaduna with initiatives that go beyond agriculture, including expansion of school feeding programs linked to the SAPZs, as well as strengthening primary healthcare, health insurance, digitalization, and infrastructure related to water and sanitation.
“We’re proud to partner with a government that listens, that leads with compassion, and that is open to all,” he said, describing Governor Uba Sani as “a model leader—he’s a listener, a unifier, and above all, a doer.”
In his response, Governor Uba Sani lauded Dr. Adesina as “a blessing to Nigeria, Africa, and humanity,” commending the AfDB president’s longstanding efforts to transform agriculture on the continent.
He recalled Adesina’s earlier work as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, particularly the E-wallet initiative that impacted over 15 million smallholder farmers, especially in Northern Nigeria.
“The initiative aimed not only to transform agriculture but could have also addressed the problem of financial exclusion we are facing today, as it could have provided access to financial credit for our smallholder farmers,” Governor Sani noted.
“It could have also addressed the problem of insecurity we are facing in Northern Nigeria. In Kaduna, agriculture contributes about 42 percent of our GDP and accounts for about 60 percent of employment in the state. This is why we believe insecurity has hindered much of the development we could have achieved through agriculture.”
Governor Sani explained that the decision to increase the agriculture budget to ₦74 billion was a deliberate step to unlock the sector’s potential. “By doing that, we became the first sub-national government to achieve the 10 percent target of the 2014 Malabo Declaration, which set the goal of allocating 10 percent of the budget to agriculture,” he said.
He described the SAPZ as “a very important project for Kaduna State” and thanked the AfDB for its continued support.
“This is a turning point for our agricultural future,” he added.
