By Peter Jatau, Abuja, April 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the North East geopolitical zone have expressed strong disapproval over the exclusion of their region from the Federal Government’s flagship Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) initiative.
Rising from an emergency meeting held at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Thursday, April 10, members of the North East Caucus of the National Assembly—comprising all Senators and House of Representatives members from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe States—voiced their disappointment and called for urgent corrective action.
In a statement delivered by Senator Danjuma Goje, Chairman of the North East Caucus, the lawmakers described the omission as a “worrisome oversight,” particularly considering the region’s vast agricultural potential and its historic contribution to Nigeria’s food security.
“The emergency meeting was convened as a result of the exclusion of our zone from this all-important programme of the Federal Government,” Senator Goje said. “Despite the North East’s enormous capacity in agriculture and livestock production, the zone was conspicuously omitted from the list of selected states.”
The SAPZ programme, launched on April 8 by Vice President Kashim Shettima in Kaduna State, is being funded with $530 million from the Federal Government and its international partners—the African Development Bank (AfDB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The programme is aimed at transforming Nigeria’s agricultural landscape through industrialisation, innovation, and increased private sector participation.
According to official announcements, Phase 1 of the SAPZ project will span seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with the North West and South West each receiving two processing zones, and one zone allocated to the South South, South East, and North Central regions.
Lawmakers lamented that the North East—the largest geopolitical zone by land mass in Nigeria, covering nearly one-third of the country’s total area—was not included in this transformative project.
“The North East is a major player in livestock and crop production and contributes significantly to Nigeria’s GDP,” the caucus stated. “It is deeply concerning that such a strategic region is missing from a programme that is designed to expand rural economic opportunities, reduce post-harvest losses, and integrate farmers into the agro-industrial value chain.”
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the caucus resolved to:
- Commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for initiating the SAPZ programme as a “presidential priority project” aimed at revitalising Nigeria’s agriculture sector.
- Decry the exclusion of the North East from the list of SAPZ beneficiaries, in spite of the region’s critical role in national food production.
- Appeal for immediate inclusion of the North East in the SAPZ initiative to ensure equity, national cohesion, and realisation of the programme’s core objectives.
The lawmakers emphasized that their call is not just about geographical balancing, but about ensuring fairness and maximising the potential of every region in the collective effort to industrialise agriculture and create sustainable employment across Nigeria.
“The North East cannot be left behind in this national project,” Senator Goje concluded. “We urge the Federal Government and its development partners to reconsider this decision and give our region its rightful place in this strategic initiative.”
