Nigeria, Feb. 17 -- The African Development Bank (AfDB) has launched a $500 million project to begin the implementation of special agro industrialised processing zones (SAPZ) to aid agricultural growth in Nigeria.

The special adviser to the AfDB President, Akinwunmi Adesina, on industrialisation, Banji Oyeyinka, said this at the kick-off ceremony of the SAPZ project in Abuja on Monday.

"We are launching $500 million (project) for the SAPZ program on Nigeria and this will cut across four zones in Nigeria," he said.

He said the first phase of the project is expected to begin in August 2020 in four zones: North-east/west, North-central, South-west and South-east/south.

"The zones are based on the crops that are located (there). The South...