By Femi Bolaji, Jalingo

The African Development Bank, AfDB, has selected four local government areas in Taraba State as Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, SAPZ.

It also announced plans to cultivate 1000 hectares of land across the SAPZ to boost food production and transform rural communities into economic hubs for farmers.

Shuaibu Bello, the team lead of AfDB and agricultural consortium group, listed Lau, Wukari, Karim-Lamido, and Sardauna LGAs as those selected for the SAPZ project.

During an assessment tour of the project areas in Lau and Karim-Lamido LGAs on Saturday, Bello stated that their visit was part of the requirement for the Taraba State Government to obtain a loan of over N100 billion for the project’s execution.

Bello stated, “The African Development Bank is playing a positive role in catalyzing agriculture in Africa into an internationally competitive sector and an important contributor to sustainable development.

“Besides boosting food production and empowering rural communities in Taraba State, the project, when completed, will create over 2,000 job opportunities for youths and women in the State.

“I also want to thank Governor Agbu Kefas and the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Prof. Nicholas Namessan, for their support, which has enabled us to commence the project in good time.”

Taraba State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Prof. Nicholas Namessan, mentioned that the establishment of Agro-processing zones across the three senatorial zones would not only boost the state’s economy but also scale up development at the grassroots and create employment opportunities for over 2000 youths.