ABUJA: The African Development Bank AfDB has commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for his administration’s commitment to agriculture and food security, announcing that Kogi State is set to benefit from the bank’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones SAPZ programme.
This was revealed during a high-level policy dialogue in Abuja focused on increasing access to finance, empowering youth and women, and developing agribusiness across Nigeria.
Kogi State’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Timothy Ojomah, said that Kogi and Ogun were the only states specifically invited to the dialogue.
He described this as a sign of the AfDB’s recognition of the agricultural reforms and investments under the Ododo administration.
According to Ojomah, the state government has already started discussions with the AfDB to fast-track its inclusion in the next phase of the SAPZ programme, which is expected to begin in 2026.
A virtual meeting is being worked on to finalize the remaining requirements, he said.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to agribusiness development.
He announced that the Bank of Agriculture BOA has been recapitalized with ₦1.5 trillion to support agricultural enterprises led by youth and women.
Kyari noted that states like Kogi, which has shown strong political will and a clear agricultural policy, is well-positioned to benefit from the SAPZ scheme and other national and multilateral initiatives.
Special Adviser on Stakeholder Engagement to the AfDB President, Ms. Lola Visser, also praised the Kogi government’s progress in agriculture and the increasing involvement of young people in the sector.
She noted that while her initiative has mentored over 200 young people, access to financing remains a major challenge, and the dialogue was designed to address this through collaboration with financial institutions.
