Nigeria starts work on Cross Rivers agro-industrial zone

Nigeria’s Cross River State has commenced the construction of its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SPAZ), set to play a key role in transforming agricultural trade and logistics in the area

The SAPZ aims to tackle food insecurity, enhance local production, and position Nigeria as a food export leader by leveraging Cross River’s ports and research assets to boost global trade, reduce food imports and drive prosperity through the agro-industrialisation of crops like cocoa and cassava.

The project is one of a number of similar schemes being supported in Nigeria by the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The groundbreaking in Cross River follows that of Kaduna, which took place days earlier, while six other states — Kano, Kwara, Imo, Ogun, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory — are included in Phase 1 of the US$538mn SAPZ programme.

There are plans to expand to the remaining 28 states this year pending approval for Phase 2 funding.

Nigeria’s vice-president Kashim Shettima said the SAPZ programme has been recognised as a national priority for food security in the country.

“There is no better time than now for the federal and state governments, development partners, the private sector, and our communities to work hand in hand to ensure the success of the SAPZ project.”

AfDB president Dr Akinwumi Adesina called it a “big day” for Nigeria, bringing “good news to farmers, agribusinesses and all rural areas of Nigeria. Good news of jobs, wealth and prosperity with agriculture as a business.”

He also highlighted Cross River’s export potential, “Bakasi deep seaport will turn the state into a logistics hub in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea, enabling trade with Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau.”

The 130-hectare Agro-Industrial Hub in Adiabo will leverage the ports of Calabar and Bakassi, plus a 23 kVA power plant in Tinapa and a 630 kVA Calabar power plant.

Its Agricultural Transformation Centre, supported by the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria and the University of Calabar, sits 45 minutes from Ikom, Etung, and Boki, boosting cocoa production for global markets.

Adesina added that the SAPZs will help Nigeria reduce food imports, conserve foreign exchange, expand local production and processing of food and agricultural commodities, strengthen the Naira, and attract significant private investment into the development of agricultural value chains.

The AfDB has committed US$934mn to SAPZs across 11 African countries.

In Nigeria, the initiative has also received funding from the Islamic Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Green Climate Fund.

Cross Rivers state governor Bassey Otu said the establishment of clusters of smallholder farmers focused on staple and cash crops such as rice, cassava, millet, cocoa, and oil palm marked a vital step toward agro-industrialisation.

“These initiatives are aimed at strengthening food security, diversifying our state’s economy toward export-oriented agriculture, and boosting our GDP,” he said.