Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has disclosed that the state government is ready to meet all requirements for the establishment of a Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) in the state.
The governor made this disclosure while receiving a delegation from the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, which had earlier visited the state to undertake an assessment tour of the proposed project site.
The project, which is an initiative of the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Kogi State Government, is expected to attract significant foreign and domestic private sector investment into the state through the processing of maize, cassava, rice, palm oil, cashew, sugarcane, and fish.
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Governor Ododo pointed out that the state government has already allocated 254 hectares of land in the Ukpake, Ajaokuta local government area for the project, stressing that the decision to establish the agro-industrial processing zone in the area was due to its strategic location and its proximity to essential resources such as water supply, electricity, gas, and a railway line linking Kogi and some states.
He commended the AfDB for the initiative and assured the delegation that the Kogi State government will do everything possible to provide the enabling environment for the selection of the state and the eventual take-off of the project.
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Dr. Bashir Ibrahim Gaya, who led the AfDB delegation, while speaking, noted that the assessment tour is intended to verify the readiness of states to be selected in the 2nd phase for the establishment of the SAPZ in Nigeria, which is being implemented in 18 countries across Africa, adding that the first phase in Nigeria had seven states, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as beneficiaries.
In his remarks, the state commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Timothy Ojomah, gave assurance that the proposed agro-industrial processing facility will be supported by an adequate and reliable supply of raw materials and semi-processed agricultural produce from the state Agricultural Transformation Centers in Alape, Anyigba, and Osara.
