The Federal Government of Nigeria in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has launched the second joint supervision mission of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme, reaffirming its commitment to accelerating reforms in Nigeria’s agricultural and agro-industrial sectors.

Speaking at the opening session in Abuja, IFAD Country Director for Nigeria, Mrs. Dede Ekoue, described the mission as a strategic opportunity for reflection, recalibration, and renewed commitment to strengthening the SAPZ initiative, a flagship programme aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for agriculture.

The SAPZ programme, co-financed by the Federal Government, IFAD, African Development Bank (AfDB), and Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), is designed to transform Nigeria’s food systems through agro-industrialisation, enterprise development, market integration, job creation, and rural prosperity.

Since the last mission, 41,204 smallholder farmers and value chain actors have been profiled across Ogun and Kano states, building on efforts from 2024 and 2025. Of these, 14,655 farmers have received inputs, training, and digital tools, including climate advisory services. Overall, 15,664 beneficiaries—comprising 9,353 men, 6,311 women, and 3,955 youth—have been supported. Women constitute 50% of profiled actors in Ogun State, while youth make up nearly a quarter in Kano.

Ekoue highlighted the success of IFAD’s 4P (public–private–producer partnership) model, including the Multistakeholder Agribusiness Forum (MAF) and 24 Memoranda of Understanding linking cassava, rice, tomato, and groundnut farmers to guaranteed offtakers.

“These partnerships reduce commercialization risks, strengthen market access, and safeguard farmers’ incomes,” she said.

The programme also integrates gender and nutrition initiatives through household engagements and food demonstrations, particularly for women. In line with IFAD’s Digital Innovation Action Plan, digital tools are being deployed to support climate-smart agriculture, providing digital climate information services to nearly 16,000 farmers and processors, while all profiling and geospatial mapping activities are fully digitised.

The supervision mission underscores Nigeria’s commitment to leveraging innovation, partnerships, and technology to modernize the agricultural sector, promote rural prosperity, and drive sustainable economic growth.