The Federal Government of Nigeria, in partnership with the African Development Bank Group and the Oyo State Government, will officially launch the Oyo State Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) on Saturday, 2 August 2025.

This event marks a major step in the country’s agro-industrial growth and will take place at the SAPZ Phase 1 site in Atan, Ijaiye, Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, about 29km from Ibadan.

This groundbreaking is the third under Phase I of the SAPZ programme, following earlier launches in Kaduna and Cross River States in April 2025. It also signals the programme’s move into south-western Nigeria. The 300-hectare project site is located near the Lagos-Ibadan Railway Line, ensuring strong transport links and easy access to major markets.

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, will join senior officials from the federal and Oyo State governments for the event.

The ceremony will also highlight the ongoing cooperation with major development partners including the Islamic Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Africa Grow Together Fund.

Speaking ahead of the event, a representative from the African Development Bank noted, “This is not just an investment in infrastructure but a direct investment in the people of Nigeria. The Oyo SAPZ will be a key part of building resilient food systems and generating jobs across several agricultural sectors.”

The SAPZ initiative is the Bank’s largest agricultural programme across Africa and forms a core element of its Feed Africa High 5 strategy. The programme has attracted total funding of $538 million, co-financed by the Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, and the Africa Grow Together Fund.

The Oyo State SAPZ will support the growth of important agricultural value chains including cassava, maize, poultry, and horticulture. It is expected to boost food production, reduce post-harvest losses, create new job opportunities, and increase rural incomes.

Officials have also confirmed that this launch strengthens Nigeria’s role in agro-based industrialization on the continent. “Nigeria is showing strong leadership,” said an official from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. “This is how we create jobs, lift communities out of poverty, and transform rural areas.”

The event will also highlight how the African Development Bank, which has been Nigeria’s development partner since 1971 with close to $11 billion in commitments, is backing agricultural transformation through public-private partnerships.

The Kaduna State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (LPRES) has revealed plans to set up Milk Aggregation Centres across key pastoralist settlements in the state. This move is aimed at transforming the dairy value chain and improving the livelihoods of livestock-keeping communities.

The initiative is part of the broader goal to revitalise the dairy production sector by addressing key challenges such as milk collection, transportation, preservation, and market access. LPRES has been implementing the Support to Sedentary Pastoralist Communities programme, which has so far reached 19 groups with essential interventions.

These interventions include solar-powered boreholes, pasture demonstration plots, tricycles, animal supplements and medicines, molasses, milking cans, fodder choppers, and residue crushers. All of these are geared towards improving milk output and animal health in rural areas, boosting productivity and creating better income opportunities.

LPRES is now focusing on building community-based Milk Collection Centres. These centres will be fitted with solar-powered cold storage systems to ensure safe preservation of milk and reduce spoilage, especially in areas without steady electricity. This will make it easier for smallholder farmers to store milk until it is collected by commercial offtakers.

To prepare for this development, a team from the State Project Coordination Office visited a mini milk aggregation facility at Ladugga Crossing in Kachia Local Government Area. The facility was set up by Nestlé Foods and is supervised by Dr. Aliyu Lawal.

Dr. Lawal explained that the centre features a solar-powered refrigeration system and an insulated storage unit with the capacity to hold over ten large milking cans. He noted that “the system has helped reduce spoilage and increased income for local dairy farmers by supporting regular collection and sales.”

Dr. Shittu Hashim, the State Project Coordinator, stated that lessons from the Ladugga visit will guide the creation of similar centres across Kaduna.

He said, “We aim to strengthen the dairy supply chain, promote sustainable livestock production, and connect rural producers to the commercial dairy economy.” The project is expected to drive rural development and attract interest from high-value dairy buyers.

At the Ekiti State Executive Council virtual meeting held on Tuesday, 29th July 2025, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji chaired a major policy discussion aimed at addressing the ongoing herders and farmers crisis.

A major decision from the meeting was the approval of a bill to repeal the Prohibition of Cattle and other Ruminants Grazing in Ekiti State Law No. 4 of 2016. The council has proposed a new legislation titled Cattle and other Ruminants Grazing in Ekiti State Law of 2025, which will be presented to the State House of Assembly for legislative review and passage.

According to Ekiti State government, this initiative is part of a broader strategy to curb grazing-related violence and create a legal framework for peaceful coexistence in rural communities.

The proposed bill introduces several new provisions. “The law will require that traditional rulers, chairmen of local governments, and the Governor must give approval before herders are settled in any part of the state,” official reports confirmed.

The new law also outlines procedures for the compulsory certification and registration of herdsmen intending to settle in Ekiti for grazing. It also clearly defines offences and penalties related to unguarded grazing of cattle and other ruminants.

This legislative move is aimed at improving land management, reducing conflicts, and ensuring safety and order in agrarian communities across Ekiti State.

The administration of President Bola Tinubu has begun a nationwide farmers’ data audit and registry. The goal is to remove “briefcase farmers”—individuals who fraudulently benefit from agricultural programs without contributing to food production.

According to government sources, this registry will be backed by a digital system that will ensure only genuine farmers receive support. “We are moving away from manual and corrupt systems. With this registry, only real farmers will benefit,” a senior official stated.

The audit is part of broader efforts to tackle food shortages and improve transparency in the distribution of agricultural interventions. High-level corruption in this area has long been blamed for inefficiency and waste, leading to high food prices and low productivity.

In addition, the government has finalized plans to set up cattle breeding centres across all six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. These centres will be managed by the new federal ministry of livestock development. The centres aim to reduce clashes between farmers and herders while boosting the livestock value chain.

“Our goal is to make agriculture a major driver of Nigeria’s economy,” a government spokesperson explained. “We are investing heavily in infrastructure and support systems.”

The government’s plan also includes the ongoing mechanization program, which aims to deliver 10,000 tractors in five years. So far, 2,000 tractors and other farming equipment have arrived.

Other projects include the Special Agro Processing Zones supported by the African Development Bank and the Agropocket initiative, which has led to the cultivation of over 133,000 hectares of wheat in Northern Nigeria.