Abiodun Shifts Resources to Support Garment Factory Partnership

James Sowole in Abeokuta

The Ogun State Government has reallocated funds under the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme to support a garment factory and other activities within the state’s Agro‑Industrial Processing Zone.

This move is part of a broader effort to speed up implementation and broaden economic opportunities in the state.

Governor Dapo Abiodun, represented by Chief Economic Adviser and Chairman of the SAPZ Steering Committee, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, announced the decision in Abeokuta during the Mid‑Term Review Mission of the Programme, which was attended by a team from the African Development Bank (AfDB).

He said the reallocation was necessary to ensure optimal use of available funding and to maximise the economic potential of Ogun State’s agricultural sector.

The governor noted that nearly 75 percent of the state’s land is suitable for both cash and food crop cultivation, making the SAPZ initiative crucial to Ogun’s food security and economic development agenda.

“Ogun State is largely agrarian, with about 75 percent of its soil suitable for farming,” he said.

Addressing the AfDB delegation led by Mr. Bernard Ozinma, the governor highlighted the Integrated Industrial Platform, Remo—a free‑trade zone in partnership with the state government that includes four major zones: the Green Agriculture Zone, Logistics and Distribution Zone, Light Industrial Zone, and the Special Agro‑Industrial Processing Zone, which is the largest with over 2,000 hectares earmarked within the Arise Integrated Industrial Platform.

He explained that his administration is pursuing quick wins that can stimulate immediate economic activity and positively impact the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross Metropolitan Product (GMP).

Abiodun also mentioned several donor‑supported intervention programmes underway in the state, including OGSTEP, OG‑CARES, RAAMP, and the Value Chain Development Programme.

Under these initiatives, agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, herbicides, urea, rice seedlings, and cassava cuttings are heavily subsidised for farmers to improve productivity and boost food production across the state.

Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Hon. Olaitan Olabintan, said the hub was strategically located within the state’s aerotropolis corridor to attract both local and foreign investors, as well as to host the Agricultural Transformation Centres (ATC) at Sawonjo in Yewa‑North and the Technology Park in Ijebu‑East, which support agricultural value chains within the zones.

In his remarks, AfDB Task Manager Mr. Bernard Ozinma explained that the purpose of the mid‑term review mission was to assess the project’s implementation progress, evaluate the level of traction achieved, and inspect ongoing construction works at the Industrial Platform, Remo free‑trade zone.

He added that the delegation was also interested in reviewing the number of investors attracted to the project and the extent of infrastructure development.

Meanwhile, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security and Chairman of the Technical Committee, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, welcomed the AfDB delegation and assured the team that implementation would be accelerated to ensure the timely achievement of the project’s objectives.

The Special Agro‑Industrial Processing Zones Programme is a joint initiative of the Federal Government, the State Government, the African Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Islamic Development Bank. It was designed to create employment, boost productivity of exportable surplus, and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.