On Wednesday in Senegal, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret. ), praised the African Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development for providing $538.05 million for the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones for Nigeria program’s initial phase.
In line with the Malabo Declaration of the African Heads of State and Government, he reportedly pushed his peers to devote at least 10% of their countries’ budgets to agriculture.
Buhari remarked, “The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones for Nigeria, which is in the first phase, would encompass seven States in the Federation.” He praised the African Development Bank’s efforts to establish SAPZ.
The structural restructuring of the agriculture industry, according to him, would not be possible without the SAPZs.
To ensure that the zones receive special consideration, he urged his counterparts to do so as member states create their Food and Agriculture Delivery Compacts.
Buhari also mentioned how the crisis between Russia and Ukraine and rising global inflation had raised food costs, particularly for necessities like wheat and maize.
He listed the steps African leaders must take to alter the situation.
The President added that encouraging more young people to enter agriculture and making it appealing to them would be essential to the future of agriculture in Africa.
According to him, this entails facilitating simple access to markets, technologies, financing, land, and other resources.
To improve the empowerment of young people and women in agriculture, he recommended that the Food and Agriculture Delivery Compacts that result from the Summit address this issue.
He complimented Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, for having the vision to lead the Summit along with the African Union Commission.
