The African Development Bank (AfDB) had on Tuesday granted Kogi government $100 million loan to finance some Special Agro- Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) projects in the state.
The state Commissioner for Finance and Budget Planning, Mr Asiru Idris, said this in Lokoja, while declaring open a stakeholders meeting on environmental and social impact assessment of the proposed SAPZ and associated developments.
The Commissioner expressed his gratitude that the state was part of beneficiaries of the project which, he said, has the potential to bridge the existing gap between production and need, employment, transportation and power supply.
According to the Commissioner, “The project will create employment for two million people in the state and by extension, curb poverty, reduce youth restiveness and open doors for private investors.”
Idris further disclosed that 280 hectares of land would be acquired for the project across five local government areas of the state.
He disclosed that, Kabba/Bunu, Okehi, Adavi, Ijumu and Lokoja are the benefitting local government areas.
He stated that the choice of the local government areas would benefit farmers, processors, aggregators and distributors to operate almost in the same vicinity.
This, he explained will reduce transaction costs and allow for shared business development services for increased productivity and competitiveness.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr David Apeh, said that the SAPZ project will attract infrastructure like water, road, energy, ICT and others to the host communities.
He commended Gov. Yahaya Bello for the initiative, urging the host communities to ensure peace and focus on the end benefits of the projects.
Presenting details of the project, one of the Coordinators, Dr Bassey Uzodinma, disclosed that SAPZ is an integrated development initiative, designed to concentrate on agro-processing activities within areas of high agricultural potential.
He said that the aim was to boost productivity, integrate production, processing and marketing of selected commodities.
The Cable reports that the project will be executed and completed over a period of three and half years.
He, however, advised that the execution of the project must comply with AfDB’s standard requirement, environmental and social safeguard.
“The project must be carried out in a way that will benefit the entire state and generations yet unborn,” he said.
One of the initiators of the project, Chief James Awoniyi, thanked the host communities for releasing land for it, saying that their gesture will not be regretted.
To ensure close supervision and monitoring of the SAPZ project, Awoniyi said that the state government had engaged three consultants to research into its various components.
In their separate remarks, the Commissioners for Environment, Mr Victor Omofaiye, Education, Mr Wemi Jones and Commerce and Industry, Mr Gabriel Olofu, pledged their support for the project.
Speaking on behalf of the host communities, the Chairman of Kabba/Bunu Local Government, Mr Moses Olorunleke, pleaded that they be carried along in the execution of the project.
He also pleaded that the host communities be well compensated for their contributions.
