New Telegraph 
Cross River State became the second state in Nigeria to mark construction of a Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone SAPZ) after the country’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, and African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, broke ground at the project site on Thursday, according to a press release.
The SAPZ aims to tackle food insecurity, enhance local production, and position Nigeria as a food export leader by leveraging Cross River’s ports and research assets to boost global trade, reduce food imports, and drive prosperity through the agro-industrialization of crops like cocoa and cassava.
The groundbreaking in Cross River follows that of Kaduna, which took place few days earlier. Six other states – Kano, Kwara, Imo, Ogun, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory – are included in Phase 1 of the $538 million SAPZ program, with plans to expand to the remaining 28 states this year pending the African Development Bank’s Executive Board approval for Phase 2 funding.
Shettima emphasised the project’s priority and need for national collaboration. He said: “The SAPZ programme has been recognized as a national priority for food security in Nigeria.
There is no better time than now for the federal and state governments, development partners, the private sector, and our communities to work hand in hand to ensure the success of the SAPZ project.”
Adesina celebrated the milestone, saying: “Today is a big day for Nigeria,” and added, “The Special AgroIndustrial Processing Zones is bringing good news to Nigeria, state governments and local governments.
Good news to farmers, agribusinesses, and all rural areas of Nigeria. Good news of jobs, wealth, and prosperity with agriculture as a business.
“With the abundant arable land, cheap labor and vast agro-ecological areas, Nigeria should not be importing food,” said Adesina who was accompanied by his wife Grace Yemisi Adesina.
The Bank Group president highlighted Cross River’s export potential: “Bakasi deep seaport will turn the state into a logistics hub in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea, enabling trade with Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea Bissau.”
The 130-hectare AgroIndustrial Hub in Adiabo will leverage the Calabar Sea Port, Bakassi Deep Sea Port, a 23 kVA power plant in Tinapa, and a 630 kVA Calabar Power Plant.
Its Agricultural Transformation Centre, supported by the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria and the University of Calabar, lies less than 45 minutes from Ikom, Etung, and Boki, boosting cocoa production for global markets.
