Nigerian ports are set to experience an unprecedented mass importation of rice following a deal that is already being struck with Thailand; the nation’s traditional supplier of rice.
Thai rice exporters confirmed last week that they were expecting to export at least one million tonnes to Nigeria before the end of this year.
To seal the deal, a senior delegation from Thailand is being expected in Nigeria this week. He team is expected yo be led by the country’s Deputy Prime Minister, Trairong Suwanakhiri.
Last week and a s a [prelude to the visit, an adviser to the deputy prime minister, Nophond Wongtra-ngan, confirmed that “Nigeria had already sent an inquiry showing its interest in buying up to one million tonnes of Thai rice”.
The average cost of a 50 kilogramme bag of rice in Nigerian markets is N8, 000 and our correspondent confirmed last week that the latest move by government is to address an imminent food shortage.
Nigeria has so far found herself with little of the commodity available in storage in local silos and had to release N80 billion from the country’s Natural Resources Fund (NRF) to fund the purchase of the essential foodstuff from whoever would sell it to them.
But an official of Chareon Pokphand, CP, Group of Thailand, Prasit Damrongshitama who led a team of Thai businessmen on a courtesy visit to the office of the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) last week in Abuja also hinted at the blossoming rice export business in Thailand.
According to him Nigeria is the second largest importer of rice from Thailand."Every year Nigeria imports one million metric tonnes of rice from Thailand which is about $700million.”
Guido Grimaldi, Italian Shipowner And Founder Of RoRo Shipping Dies At 92 3
Guido Grimaldi, the man who founded the Roll- on- Roll -off shipping line that also bears his name; Grimaldi, has died at the age of 92.
Grimaldi remained chairman of the company right up to last week when he passed on. The Grimaldi Group, which is based in Naples, is one of the pioneers of the roll on/roll off concept for shipping and has become one of the largest and has one of the most modern fleet of purpose built RoRo and multipurpose RoRo ships in the world. The group currently controls seven companies and operates more than 100 ships serving four continents.
In a brief statement issued by the company last week to announce the demise of the shipping icon The Grimaldi Group said the late Grimaldi “was a far-sighted businessman who succeeded in conveying his values and enthusiasm to his sons, Gianluca and Emanuele, as well as his son-in-law Diego.”
Grimaldi was brought into the world of shipping by his uncle, Achille Lauro, and together with his brothers Luigi, Mario, Aldo and Ugo set up the business in 1947 with a WW2 Liberty ship that was assigned by the US to Italy. He later had a short political career as an Italian Monarchist Party MP during the 1950s.
All Grimaldi’s multipurpose vessels have been built to accommodate a wide range of cargoes with project capability up to 250mt and 6.5m high, together with up to 1300 containers, rolling cargoes and cars.
Guido Grimaldi remained at the helm of his company for more than 50 years and his legacy has been the continuing success of the company he helped to found.
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