No fewer than 25,000 farmers across 16 local government areas of Kano State will benefit from nutrition-sensitive interventions under the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) project, a programme supported by the Nigerian government and development partners.
The project is backed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), IFAD, the Islamic Development Bank, and other partners, and is focused on improving food systems and farmer livelihoods in the state.
The disclosure was made on Wednesday in Kano by the project’s Communication Specialist, Malam Shehu Babangida, during a one-day joint media sensitisation training on Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) for improved nutrition.
Babangida said SAPZ is designed to raise agricultural productivity while addressing nutrition gaps among rural households. He said the project promotes best farming practices, strengthens value chains, and encourages healthier dietary habits in farming communities.
According to him, data for about 16,000 farmers from eight local government areas have already been captured, while an additional 9,000 dry-season farmers are being targeted to benefit from the nutrition-focused component.
In her remarks, the Knowledge Manager and Communication Officer of the SAPZ Kano project, Hajiya Rabi Mustafa Sadiq, said the initiative prioritises the revitalisation of tomato, sesame, groundnut, and rice production, alongside improved processing and market access.
Also speaking, Dr. Auwalu Musa Umar, Senior Nutrition Officer at the Kano State Ministry of Health, said the government directed the Bureau of Statistics to generate updated farmer data for better planning state.
