The Federal Government has said its initiative to establish specific agro-industrial processing zones across the country is nearing completion.
Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, made the disclosure while briefing State House Correspondents at the end of this month’s National Economic Council meeting in Abuja, the nation’s capital, presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The processing zones, he said, were built as part of a special Ministry initiative in collaboration with the African Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Islamic Development Bank, state governments, and private investors.
“At the National Economic Council, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security made a presentation to the Council in respect of special agro-industrial processing zones in conjunction with some international financial organizations, the State governments, and the private sector.
According to him, the plan would help to improve agricultural operations as well as agricultural product processing.
The Agriculture Minister further stated that the agro-processing complexes each have the capacity to create between 3000-5000 jobs.
Kyari emphasized that the agro-processing centres would also contribute to addressing the issue of losses caused by a shortage of processing and storage facilities.
