Federal lawmakers from the North East geopolitical zone have condemned the region’s exclusion from the Federal Government’s $530 million Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme, describing it as a “grave injustice.”
All Senators and Members of the House of Representatives from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe States held an emergency meeting on Thursday at the National Assembly in Abuja to register their protest and demand immediate inclusion in the programme.
Speaking on behalf of the caucus, Chairman Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje said the exclusion was deeply unfair, especially given the region’s vast agricultural potential.
“The emergency meeting held today by all the federal lawmakers from the North East was convened because of the exclusion of our zone from the all-important Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme, despite our significant contributions to agriculture and livestock production in Nigeria,” Goje said.
Goje lamented that despite being the largest geopolitical zone in the country and a key hub for farming and livestock, the North East was not selected among the eight beneficiaries of the SAPZ initiative, which aims to revolutionize Nigeria’s agricultural sector through agro-industrial hubs.
The SAPZ programme—launched on April 8, 2025, by Vice President Kashim Shettima in Kaduna—is funded by the Federal Government in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
It seeks to reduce post-harvest losses, enhance value chains, and create rural job opportunities.
So far, Kaduna, Kano, Ogun, Oyo, Cross River, Imo, Kwara, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been selected for implementation. No state in the North East made the list.
Goje added: “This omission is not just puzzling, it is unacceptable. Our zone covers nearly one-third of Nigeria’s landmass and possesses the highest potential in various agricultural sectors. Leaving us out contradicts the core goal of inclusive development.”
