By Faridat Salifu
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has secured $2.2 billion (approximately ₦3.4 trillion) in funding to expand its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme across 24 Nigerian states.
The announcement was made by AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina during the 2025 Standard Chartered Bank Africa Summit recently held in Lagos.
According to Adesina, the funding will support the second phase of the SAPZ programme, which aims to transform Nigeria’s agricultural sector through industrial-scale processing and value addition.
The first phase of the initiative was already rolled out in eight locations: Ogun, Oyo, Cross River, Imo, Kaduna, Kwara, Kano, and the Federal Capital Territory.
Adesina, a former Nigerian Minister of Agriculture, said the zones would unlock new markets, improve food security, and create large-scale employment across rural communities.
He stressed that moving up the agricultural value chain is essential for African economies to become globally competitive in agri-processing.
So far, AfDB has committed $934 million directly to the SAPZ programme, with co-financing contributions of $938 million from major partners.
These include the Islamic Development Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the West African Development Bank (BOAD).
To speed up implementation continent-wide, AfDB and its partners have also launched the Alliance for Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones with $3 billion in pooled commitments.
Adesina noted that similar development of agro-industrial zones is currently ongoing across 27 sites in 11 African countries.
He described the initiative as a game-changer for African agriculture, with infrastructure designed to attract investment in processing, storage, and logistics.
The SAPZ programme is expected to play a central role in industrialising agriculture and achieving food system transformation across Nigeria and the continent.
