Director-General of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Dr John Osemede has said that Nigeria has the capacity to produce enough quantity of rice to meet its needs.
Osemede told newsmen in Lagos yesterday that importation of rice was, therefore, a waste of resources and should be discouraged.
“Last year, we had a huge increase in the price of rice due to the floods and other challenges relating to insecurity and cost of importation.
Director-General of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Dr John Osemede has said that Nigeria has the capacity to produce enough quantity of rice to meet its needs.
Osemede told newsmen in Lagos yesterday that importation of rice was, therefore, a waste of resources and should be discouraged.
“Last year, we had a huge increase in the price of rice due to the floods and other challenges relating to insecurity and cost of importation.
“Nigeria has the land mass and the capacity to produce rice and other agricultural produce, so we have no business importing it.
“As for the machinery for processing of rice and other foods, we do not have the engineering capacity yet, so those can be imported,” he said.
Osemede said that the value chain in agriculture should be improved on as this would help to control poverty in the country.
He urged the Federal Government to find means of reducing the quantity of imported rice now and then subsequently ban its importation.
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