Nigeria’s Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed has said that the country is attaining self-sufficiency in
rice production due to the border closure with four countries in August 20, 2019.
He said in Lagos on Monday that the border closure had drastically reduced smuggling and catalysed rice production.
He said that a visit to some of Nigeria’s 34 integrated rice mills as well as rice clusters in Kano revealed that the rice mills were either operating at full capacity or doubled their production.
“Before the border drill, there were 12.2 million rice farmers in Nigeria, but now additional six million people, mostly youths are venturing into rice production.
“Before the drill, farmers were cultivating rice twice a year, now that has increased to three times a year, and some rice farmers are now venturing beyond rice cultivation to milling, packaging and marketing.
“Overall, the integrated mills currently produce 150,000 bags of rice daily and about 35 million bags per annum,’’ he said.
The minister added that the border drill had curbed the smuggling of other prohibited items into the country and also reduced the importation of arms, ammunitions and drugs.
Mohammed disclosed that because of the drill, terrorists and other criminals were finding it hard to procure arms and ammunition, while criminal elements no longer make their way into the country through the land borders.
“This has resulted in reduced cases of insecurity, whether its kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery or other violent crimes,’’ he said.
The minister said that smuggling of petroleum products out of Nigeria had been drastically curtailed and had led to a 30 percent reduction in domestic fuel consumption.
“There is also a drastic reduction in illegal migration,’’ he added.
MM/GIK/APA