Gov. Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to agricultural transformation as officials of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House in Bauchi.
The delegation was led by Dr. Chuma Ezedinma of the African Development Bank alongside members of the SAPZ team.
Discussions during the meeting focused on strengthening collaboration with the Bauchi State Government to ensure the successful implementation of the Agro-Industrial Processing Zones initiative.
The programme, funded by the African Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank and other development partners, is expected to attract billions of dollars in investments across benefiting states in Nigeria.
Speaking during the visit, Ezedinma said the team was in Bauchi on a pre-appraisal mission to assess the state’s readiness for the project.
He explained that the visit was aimed at ensuring that all necessary documentation and institutional frameworks were in place for the smooth take-off of the programme.
Responding, Mohammed thanked the SAPZ officials for the visit, noting that agriculture remained the mainstay of Bauchi State’s economy.
He said the initiative would significantly expand agricultural development in the state and create new opportunities for economic growth.
The governor added that the programme aligned with his administration’s blueprint for strengthening the agricultural value chain and transitioning from subsistence farming to large-scale mechanised agriculture.
Mohammed assured the delegation that the state government had already put in place the required administrative structures and strategic roadmaps to support the successful implementation of the project.
He called for sustained collaboration and increased support from development partners to ensure that Bauchi State derives maximum benefit from the Agro-Industrial Processing Zones initiative.
