FCTA inaugurates 12-Man C’ttee for SAPZ project implementation

By Stanley Onyekwere 

To enable the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) effectively key into Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme, the FCT Administration has set up a 12-member implementation committee for the project, which is being coordinated by Africa Development Bank (AfDB).

Performing the formal inauguration of the committee, last week, the  FCT Mandate Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS), Mallam Abubakar Ibrahim revealed that its members were carefully selected based on their areas of specialisation and expertise, to ensure that all aspects concerning the implementation of the project are adequately taken care of. 

Ibrahim said approval for the constitution of the committee was given by the Hon. Minister of State for FCT, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, to enable the FCT key into the project which is ready for take off.

According to him, members of the committee are: Hajiya Umar Abubakar- FCT SAPZ Coordinator, Lawal Ardo- Operations manager, Haruna Mohammed- the Financial controller, Uchechi Bianca- procurement officer , Engineer Omole- Infrastructure officer, Yakubu Usman- planning, monitoring and evaluation expert, Omole Olatunje- knowledge management and communication officer, Alfar Mohammed Kudu- agriculture productivity expert, Dr. Shuaibu Adamu- rural institutions development officer, Lanre Atus- Environmental Safeguard officer, Hajiya Asama’u Adamu- Gender and social safeguard officer; and Aisha Abdullahi- ICT desk officer .

“As  I formally inaugurate this very wonderful team, I wound like to call on the 12-member committee, under my chairmanship  to bring their expertise to bear during carrying out their assignment.

“I expect you all to put all your best, to see that this project succeeds, as there are some hopes on us to see how we can deliver this project, and with the caliber of the people in the committee, I’m sure that success is on our side”, he stressed 

Responding on behalf of the committee, Hajiya Umar Abubakar , FCT SAPZ Coordinator, assured that members of team are going to take their assignment very serious, as they will hit the ground running immediately.

“We can’t let ourselves down, and we can’t let the ARDS down. Our appreciation goes to the hon. Minister of State for FCT for finding us worthy, and now the responsibility is on us to see that the best comes out of the project”, she reaffirmed.

AfDB in collaboration with its development partners had set up SAPZ programme, to amongst others catalyze agricultural development on the continent through industrialization.