Cross River Launches Special Agro-Industrial Zone to Boost Food Security and Exports

The Cross River SAPZ, situated on a 130-hectare plot in Adiabo, is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the state’s rich agricultural potential and its logistical assets.

Cross River State has officially joined the league of Nigerian regions embarking on a bold, transformative journey toward agro-industrialization, as Vice President Kashim Shettima and African Development Bank (AfDB) President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina led the groundbreaking ceremony for a Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) on Thursday, April 10, 2025.

This milestone marks Cross River as the second Nigerian state to begin construction on an SAPZ, following Kaduna State’s recent kickoff. The event, held at Adiabo in Odukpani Local Government Area, signifies a major step in Nigeria’s national strategy to fight food insecurity, stimulate job creation, enhance agro-value chains, and strengthen the nation’s economy through large-scale agricultural processing and export.

The SAPZ initiative is a $538 million Phase 1 program, designed to fast-track the industrialization of Nigeria’s agriculture sector through the development of strategically located agro-processing hubs. These hubs aim to turn rural areas into economic powerhouses, reduce post-harvest losses, enhance food production, and boost exports by providing the necessary infrastructure and investment climate to support agribusinesses.

Cross River’s Strategic Advantage

The Cross River SAPZ, situated on a 130-hectare plot in Adiabo, is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the state’s rich agricultural potential and its logistical assets. It will be integrated with the Calabar Sea Port, the planned Bakassi Deep Sea Port, a 23 kVA power plant in Tinapa, and a 630 kVA Calabar Power Plant.

“The Bakassi Deep Sea Port will transform Cross River into a vital logistics and trade hub in the Gulf of Guinea,” said Dr. Adesina. “It will facilitate regional trade with Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea Bissau, while empowering local agribusinesses to access global markets.”

The Agricultural Transformation Centre within the zone will work in synergy with institutions such as the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria and the University of Calabar. These academic and research assets will support innovation, extension services, and production enhancements—especially for export crops like cocoa, cassava, oil palm, and rice.

Governor Bassey Otu underscored the importance of agro-industrialization to the state’s development strategy. “For Cross River, SAPZ represents a new dawn. Through the formation of clusters of smallholder farmers and targeted support for value chains like millet, cocoa, cassava, and rice, we aim to significantly grow our GDP and reduce dependency on food imports.”

The hub is located within a 45-minute drive from major cocoa-producing regions such as Ikom, Etung, and Boki, offering a key logistical advantage in aggregating raw materials for processing and export.

National Priority with Multilateral Support

The SAPZ program is being implemented as a public-private partnership involving federal and state governments, the African Development Bank, and several international development partners. The AfDB is contributing $210 million, including $50 million from its Africa Growing Together Fund. The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) is contributing $150 million, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is adding $100 million, and the Green Climate Fund is investing $60 million. The Nigerian government is contributing $18 million.

Speaking at the groundbreaking, Vice President Shettima declared the SAPZ program a top national priority, emphasizing the urgency of food security amid global disruptions. “There is no better time than now for collaboration between the federal and state governments, development partners, the private sector, and our communities,” he said.

“The SAPZ program has been recognized as a national priority for food security in Nigeria,” he added. “It will stimulate private sector investment, reduce food import dependency, and create a new wave of agripreneurs across our rural communities.”

Dr. Adesina echoed this sentiment, noting the SAPZ will be a game-changer for Nigeria. “With abundant arable land, cheap labor, and vast agro-ecological zones, Nigeria has no business importing food. The SAPZ is good news for farmers, agribusinesses, rural economies—and for our future as an agricultural powerhouse.”

Building on Previous Success

Dede Ekoue, IFAD’s Country Director for Nigeria, highlighted that the SAPZ in Cross River would leverage the foundation laid by the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) project, which has already empowered over 26,000 youth and women agripreneurs in the region—including 4,000 in Cross River alone. The LIFE-ND program aims to reach 100,000 beneficiaries by 2028, laying the groundwork for scalable agricultural entrepreneurship.

Abubakar Kyari, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, added that the SAPZ program is a cornerstone of the country’s import substitution strategy. “We are investing not only in infrastructure and value chains but in the future of our rural communities and our country’s economic sovereignty.”

Phase 2 and Long-Term Vision

The Cross River SAPZ is part of Phase 1, which includes seven other locations: Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Imo, Ogun, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory. These zones were selected based on their agro-ecological potential, infrastructure readiness, and private sector engagement.

Plans are already underway to expand to Nigeria’s remaining 28 states in Phase 2, pending approval from the AfDB Executive Board. At the 2024 Africa Investment Forum in Morocco, investor interest for SAPZ projects in Nigeria reached $2.2 billion, signaling robust enthusiasm from the global financial and business community.

The AfDB has committed $934 million to SAPZ projects across 11 African countries, reflecting its belief that agro-industrialization is a key lever for inclusive economic growth, poverty reduction, and sustainable development.

Transforming Agriculture into Business

Adesina concluded with a call to action: “We must make agriculture a business. The SAPZs will reduce food imports, conserve foreign exchange, boost domestic production, strengthen the Naira, and create millions of jobs. Most importantly, they will bring hope, wealth, and dignity back to our rural communities.”

Other dignitaries in attendance included AfDB Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development Dr. Beth Dunford; Director General for Nigeria Dr. Abdul Kamara; Senior Special Adviser on Industrialisation Prof. Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka; and Director of Agricultural Finance Richard Ofori-Mante.

With construction now underway in Cross River, and national momentum building, the SAPZ program signals a new era for Nigerian agriculture—one driven by innovation, infrastructure, and inclusive growth.