By Fatima Saka
The Lawmakers from the North East Caucus of the Senate and House of Representatives have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address the exclusion of their region from the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme, a $530 million intervention funded by the Federal Government, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The lawmakers, representing the six states of the North East, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe, raised their concerns during a press briefing in Abuja following an emergency meeting on Thursday.
Senator Danjuma Goje, representing Gombe Central Senatorial District and Chairman of the North East Caucus of the 10th National Assembly, commended President Tinubu for implementing the programme but strongly criticized the exclusion of the North East, a region with vast agricultural potential. He emphasized that the SAPZ initiative was conceived during Dr. Akinwumi Adesina’s tenure as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture over a decade ago and expressed disappointment that the North East was left out despite its significant contributions to the agricultural sector.
Call for Immediate Inclusion
The lawmakers lamented that the North East remains Nigeria’s poorest region, a condition worsened by the insurgency. Senator Goje stressed that stability in the region is crucial to national security and development.
“If there is any zone that deserves special attention for development projects, it is the North East. The stability of one zone directly impacts the stability of others,” he stated.
The caucus urged the government to uphold fairness and constitutional provisions on federal character, which mandate equitable distribution of national resources and projects.
“Our constitution clearly states that federal character should be applied not only in appointments but also in project allocations. How can the Federal Government designate eight processing zones nationwide and fail to allocate even one to the North East?” they questioned.
North East’s Agricultural Significance
Highlighting the region’s agricultural strength, the lawmakers pointed to its vast water resources, including the Mambila Dam in Taraba, Gubi Dam in Bauchi, Dadin Kowa Dam in Gombe, and several others, which support extensive farming activities.
“If you talk about livestock in Nigeria, the North East is number one. So why would such a critical project exclude our region?” they asked.
Urging Policy Makers to Reconsider
The legislators emphasized that their stance is not a protest but a call for fairness.
“We are drawing the attention of the Federal Government and policymakers to the fact that the North East exists and deserves equal consideration in national development projects.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima recently flagged off the construction of Phase 1 of the SAPZ in Kaduna, as part of the government’s strategy to industrialize the agricultural sector. Seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were selected for the programme, with Kaduna, Kano, Ogun, and Oyo receiving two zones each, while the South South, South East, and North Central received one each. However, the North East was conspicuously absent from the list.
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“The North East covers nearly one-third of Nigeria’s total land area and contributes significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through agriculture. Excluding us from SAPZ is both unfair and counterproductive to the government’s goals of economic transformation and food security,” the lawmakers argued.
They concluded by urging President Tinubu and relevant stakeholders to rectify the oversight and ensure the North East is included in the SAPZ programme to promote equitable development across all regions.
