The Federal Government has selected Ekiti State to participate in the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Phase II programme which is sponsored by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The State Commissioner for Information, Chief Taiwo Olatunbosun disclosed in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday that the State was in receipt of a notification from the SAPZ National Coordination office that the Federal Government chose Ekiti in recognition of its commitment to agricultural transformation, economic diversification, industrialisation and job creation.
Olatunbosun added that the process of operationalizing the programme is currently being finalised.
The Commissioner said the inclusion of Ekiti State in the SAPZ programme is an acknowledgement of the efforts of the Governor Biodun Oyebanji-led administration to revamp the agricultural sector as a major catalyst for industrialisation, job creation and economic development.
He stressed that the selection was a major milestone and a strong endorsement of the Oyebanji-led administration’s plan to drive industrialization through agriculture.
The Commissioner noted that the programme would create employment opportunities for the teeming young population in the agro-processing sector as well as boost activities of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) for the development of the State.
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While expressing the preparedness of Ekiti State for the programme, Olatunbosun hinted that SAPZ National Coordination Office would organized an onboarding workshop to facilitate technical guidance and support to participating States ahead of the programmes implementation.
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