SAPZ project targets 50,000 jobs in FCT – Minister

Dr Mariya Mahmoud, Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), says the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) project will create about 50,000 direct and indirect jobs in the territory.

Mahmoud stated this in Gwagwalada on Wednesday at the commencement of the distribution of agricultural inputs to FCT SAPZ project’s beneficiaries to boost agricultural production.

Represented by the Mandate Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, FCT Administration, Mr Lawan Geidam, the minister explained that women would constitute 40 per cent of the beneficiaries.

She said that the 50,000 direct and indirect jobs would be created within the five-year duration of the SAPZ project.

Mahmoud identified food as the most essential need for human survival, adding that agriculture plays a vital role in meeting this need.

She also said that agriculture remained the mainstay of the nation’s economy, providing livelihoods to millions of people and ensuring food security.

The minister, however, said that farmers and agro-entrepreneurs face numerous and complex challenges, ranging from climate change, poor agricultural practices, and access to markets.

She stressed, “These challenges require innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to address them.

“It is for these reasons that the FCT Administration has fully embraced the SAPZ Project, designed in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“The project is designed to inject the much-needed manpower, resources and investments to reinvigorate the agricultural sector for sustainable development.”

Mahmoud expressed optimism that the agricultural inputs would serve as a vital catalyst for building a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector in the FCT.

She identified the inputs as bull calves, animal feeds, improved seeds, fertilisers, crop protection chemicals and equipment.

The minister said that 5,000 crops and livestock farmers have been profiled and cleared to benefit from the support in the first phase of the SAPZ intervention.

Mahmoud reaffirmed FCTA’s unwavering commitment to supporting the successful implementation of the SAPZ project.

Speaking in his capacity as the mandate secretary of the agriculture and rural development secretariat, Geidam explained that SAPZ was initiated to unlock the potential of the livestock sub-sector in the FCT.

This, he said, was being done by providing critical financing and support to drive the growth, productivity, and sustainability of the sector.

He said that the project would also train various groups and provide funding for the operations of the groups in their respective agricultural ventures.

According to him, the support is expected to reduce high cost of production to enable them to maximise the farmer’s earnings and improve their livelihood.

On her part, SAPZ Project Coordinator in FCT, Hajia Umma Abubakar, said that the project was a flagship initiative designed to revolutionise agriculture in Nigeria.

Abubakar added that the project was also expected to promote livestock value chain and concentrate industrial processing and marketing of beef and dairy products.

“It also aimed at developing the rural areas, increasing household income, and fostering job creation in rural agricultural communities, targeting youths and women.

“This in the long run will enhance food and nutrition security in FCT,” she said.