By Nasir Dambatta

Governor Uba Sani’s leadership in Kaduna State is blazing new trails once again — this time through the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) project. Designed to reposition agriculture from subsistence to prosperity, SAPZ is not just a project; it’s a full-blown economic boom. By targeting value addition, industrial development, and massive job creation, SAPZ is set to drive Kaduna’s economic growth for decades. Here are ten (10) ways I believe the excitement is real — and why history will remember Uba Sani as the governor who planted seeds of transformation.

The first reason is that farrming has just got smarter. With SAPZ, agriculture in Kaduna is moving from hoe and cutlass to high-tech equipment, drastically boosting farm yields and efficiency — similar to Rwanda’s shift to mechanized farming under its Crop Intensification Programme.

The second reason is that farmers will become millionaires. How?
Value addition through agro-processing means more earnings for farmers, just like Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa farmers who climbed the income ladder after the country invested heavily in local cocoa processing plants.

The third reason is that of investment rush. This means
the SAPZ will be attracting a wave of investors, as seen in Ethiopia’s agro-industrial parks that pulled in major foreign direct investment (FDI) into rural regions.

The fourth reason, in my candid view, is that there will be a corresponding infrastructure explosion. By this, I mean massive investment in roads, storage facilities, and plants will transform Kaduna, just as Senegal’s Diamniadio Industrial Park spurred infrastructure expansion around Dakar.

The fifth reason is obvious: Jobs plus skills revolution. This means thousands of youths will gain vital agro-industry skills, much like Morocco’s agricultural vocational programmes that trained over 50,000 young farmers and processors.

The sixth reason is a very strong one: Food Security. Locked In
Local production and efficient processing will stabilize Kaduna’s food supply, reflecting Zambia’s experience where farm block developments significantly reduced food imports.

The seventh reason? Kaduna will hit Global Markets. Let’s break it down. With greater processing capacity, Kaduna can follow the path of Kenya, whose flower and vegetable exports rake in billions annually thanks to agro-processing upgrades.

The eighth and final reason is the emergence of an even stronger Public-Private deal.
Public-Private partnerships will thrive, just the partnership inspired by Ghana’s success under its One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative, which created over 125 factories via private investment.

The ninth reason is: Tech Hub for Agro-Industry
Kaduna can become a tech powerhouse, similar to South Africa’s Stellenbosch region, a leader in agricultural innovation and technology.

The tenth reason is: Farming That Loves the Planet
Eco-friendly practices will define Kaduna’s SAPZ, learning from Uganda’s coffee replanting programme, which promotes sustainable, organic farming.

Now, what is the bottom line?
Senator Uba Sani is not just promising change — he is delivering a future where Kaduna’s economy thrives, families prosper, and history remembers his boldness, as witnessed in the ten African countries I earlier mentioned.

*Dambatta is Senior Special Assistant on print media to Kaduna State governor

​