FCTA to establish special agro-industrial processing zone

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has inaugurated a 44-member implementation committee to drive the process for the establishment of Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) and the National Livestock Transformation Programme (NLTP).

FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, made this known in a statement released by her Special Assistant on Media, Austen Elemue, on Sunday in Abuja.

Aliyu said the project is geared towards achieving President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda of lifting 100 million youth out of poverty through the agricultural value chain.

She said that the project would be funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and also clarified that by setting up the implementation committee, the FCTA has demonstrated its readiness in ensuring that the first zone is established in the nation’s capital to serve as a pilot scheme.

The minister said that the journey leading to the inauguration of the committee had spanned months of intensive engagements with the AfDB, the federal ministries of finance, budget and national planning.

Others include the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Federal Ministry of Industry and others.

“The AfDB, being the funding bank for the SAPZ has placed the FCTA on a strong rating from our engagements, since inception.

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“We have thus been approved to promote and host a livestock and dairy – dedicated SAPZ in the territory, for large scale beef and dairy productions across the full value chain,’’ Aliyu said.

She revealed that the FCTA participated in various meetings and fora of the FG-AfDB that produced the communique submitted to President Buhari to formally inaugurate the SAPZ in the country.

She added that in February, 2020, a pre-inception workshop produced an aide memoire that highlighted clear responsibilities for the administration against timelines.

“This committee is being inaugurated to take up the responsibility of ensuring that these strict timelines are met.

“The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development have advertised the expression of interest to shortlist qualified consulting firms for the SAPZ project documents preparation including studies, surveys and designs.

“One of the firms will be assigned to work with us to carry out these tasks when the procurement processes are concluded”, she said.