100 officials from 31 MDAs Trained in Kwara to Drive $57.2m Agro-Industrial Projects

By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin

Kwara state government on Tuesday commenced a capacity-building programme for 100 officials drawn from 31 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to strengthen institutional readiness for the implementation of a Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Project in the State.

The training was organized by Synergy Impact Consultant Limited was designed to equip participants with the technical, institutional and implementation knowledge required for the successful execution of the project.

Speaking with journalists after the opening ceremony, State Project Coordinator of Kwara SAPZ Project, Engineer (Dr.) Busari Toyin Isiaka, said the training became necessary to ensure that all relevant personnels in government institutions clearly understand their roles before full project implementation begins.

According to him, the participants were drawn from 31 MDAs because of the collaborative nature of the project.

“We are building their technical capacity, institutional capacity and implementation capacity. Once the project fully commences, there will be little or no implementation challenges because they already understand what is expected of them”, he said.

Dr. Isiaka added that SAPZ project was aimed at reducing post-harvest losses, particularly in the livestock value chain, through processing, value addition and improved agricultural infrastructure.

He disclosed that the project, valued at about 57.2 million US dollars, would establish four Agricultural Transformation Centres (ATCs) in Kaiama, Baruten, Ifelodun and Asa Local Government Areas of the State while a central agro-processing hub would also be located in Malete, Moro Local council Area.

According to him, the transformation centres will supply raw materials to the processing hub, where they would be processed into higher-value products, thereby reducing waste and increasing returns for farmers.

He added that the project was expected to attract both local and foreign investors, create employment opportunities, improve household incomes and enhance food security across the state.

The project coordinator commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his commitment to the initiative through the timely release of counterpart funding and continued support for its implementation.

He revealed that the state government had recently engaged prospective investors in Turkey, while the Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had also undertaken study visits to Benin Republic and Ethiopia to understudy successful agro-industrial models that could be adapted in Kwara State.

Speaking on youth participation in agriculture, Dr. Isiaka encouraged young people to take advantage of the opportunities being created through the SAPZ project, stressing that agriculture is no longer an occupation reserved for older people.

Dr. Isiaka urged participants to actively engage in the training and apply the knowledge gained to ensure the successful implementation of the SAPZ project, describing the initiative as a major step towards transforming agriculture into a sustainable driver of economic growth in Kwara State.