Osinbajo to commission ₦10 Billion WACOT rice mill Today

 

 

 

Image result for wacot rice mill in kebbi

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and 24 state governors are billed to commission the ₦10 billion WACOT Rice Mill at Argungu located in Kebbi State today. This was confirmed by the State Governor, His Excellency, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.

In addressing journalist while on a visit to Governor Abubakar Atiku Badugu at the Government house in Birnin Kebbi, the chairman of WACOT in the person of Alhaji Bashar Aminu said the decision to establish a rice mill in Kebbi state was in line with the president’s directive that they should produce and make the people patronize Nigerian rice.

He disclosed that WACOT investment in Kebbi State would expand to ₦10 Billion with 400 metrics tonnes production per day plus, employ 1000 workers of which 95 percent will be Kebbi state Indigenes.

The company, which he said has branches in 13 African countries, the Middle Belt and Asian countries, when fully expanded, would generate its independent energy and supply 250 villages in 14 local government areas of the state.

 

Rice importation down by 80% — Osinbajo

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has said Nigeria’s rice importation has dropped by over 80 per cent and that the country would be self-sufficient next year.

Declaring open the 16th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), Africa Region yesterday in Abuja, Osinbajo said the feat was achieved based on the collaborative efforts of both the Executive and the Legislature.

“In the last two years, Nigeria which is the largest producer of rice in West Africa and the second largest importer of rice in the world has changed that story. Our rice import bill in 2014 was N1billion a month.

“Today by a combination of progressive legislative appropriation to agriculture and providing single digit credit under our anchor borrowers programme for the purchase of right fertilizer quality and other inputs and credit, many rice farmers moved from getting yields of 3.5 metric tons per hectare to 7.5 mt per hectare.

The acting president also said the two arms of government have worked harmoniously in the past two years but that the media gets more interested in disagreements between them.

“On a lighter note, I don’t know the experience of Presiding Officers from other nations present of the portrayals by the press of the relationship between the executive and the legislature. Here in Nigeria what makes the news is the conflict between the executive and the legislature.

Senate President Bukola Saraki in a goodwill message said the conference should provide the opportunity to address certain issues in Africa.

Speaker Yakubu Dogara, who is the chairman of the conference called on legislatures across Africa to break their people free from dictatorship by building strong institutions

ref: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/rice-importation-down-by-80-osinbajo/207086.html

FG pumps ₦750 billion into the Agricultural sector.

The Federal Government has released ₦750 billion Agricultural Intervention Fund into the agricultural sector, this is in tune with the Federal Government goal to ensure food sufficiency.

This was disclosed by the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (who was represented by the Plateau State Deputy Governor) during his speech at National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) whilst inaugurating the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 39 held in Kuru, Plateau state. He went to further say that if the Government was serious about revamping the economy, the agricultural sector had to be developed.

According to him “ Developing the Agricultural Sector is a clear starting point of our request for not only the diversification of our hitherto noncultural economy away from oil, it is also the only economy to grow fast enough to absorb the huge number of people that are employed”. He noted that Nigeria has well over 84 hectares of land but 60% of these arable land remain uncultivated.

The VP also said that the country has the human capacity with over 180 million population, the local market is big enough to support agricultural production and at the same time provide a sustainable livelihood for the citizens.

 

The Director General of the institute (acting), Jonathan Juma said the theme of SEC 39 “Science, Technology and Innovation for the Development of Agriculture and Agro-Allied Industries in Nigeria” was important to the country when we consider the fear being speculated about possible food shortage in the country as well as low supply of agricultural raw materials to feed the emerging agro-allied industries in the country.

The Deputy Governor of Plateau said, “human population is increasing exponentially, while climate change with attendant implication for agricultural production is steering us in the face, the option to put in place a vibrant and robust science, technology innovation policy is imperative”.

 

Source: www.agronigeria.com.ng

PHOTO: SEGUN BAKARE