SAPZ: You Are Mistaken – FG Refutes Claim By Northeast Lawmakers Of Being Left Out Of Tinubu’s Projects

The federal government has refuted claims that the Northeast is excluded from the special agro-processing zones (SAPZ) project introduced by the government of President Bola Tinubu.

According to the government, only three of the six northeastern states – Borno, Gombe, and Bauchi, have expressed interest in participating in the SAPZ projects, while the states that have yet to show interest are Yobe, Taraba, and Adamawa.

The clarification was made on Saturday by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, who submitted that the legislators who accused the executive branch of bias in the implementation of the projects are mistaken.

The Minister, who spoke with journalists in his office, explained that not only is the Northeast included in the SAPZ project, but some of its states are already participating in the second phase of the program.

“It is crucial to correct the misconception that the North-East was excluded,” the Minister said, noting that “inclusivity is at the core of this administration, and all stakeholders are carried along in designing and implementing development programs.”

Kyari added that some states have shown interest in the project but did not meet the requirements.

“States have to express interest and meet specific requirements. Some states have not done so,” the Minister added.

Naija News recalls that the Northeast caucus of the National Assembly had accused President Bola Tinubu of shortchanging the region in the execution of major projects, political appointments and other decisions by his government.

The allegation was made on Thursday by the caucus, which is the umbrella body for Senators and members of the House of Representatives from the North-East geopolitical zone.

The caucus appealed to the President to review some of the actions of his administration by giving fair representation to the North-East, which comprises of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe states.

They made their position known at a press conference they addressed at the National Assembly in Abuja while demanding fairness and equity.

The caucus on Thursday, specifically alleged exclusion by the government from the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ), a $530million agriculture development programme jointly funded by the Federal Government, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Speaking on the development, the leader of the caucus, Senator Danjuma Goje, expressed the displeasure of the group on the exclusion of the Northeast from the SAPZ programme in spite of the region accounting for one-third of Nigeria’s total land mass and being the largest producer of livestock and other food products.