Nigeria as leading rice producer in Africa

Though President Buhari’s desire on the launching of the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) in 2015 was strategically aimed at delisting Nigeria from the list of rice importers, little did he know that the programme will achieve great success within a short time. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers Programme is intended to create […]

Though President Buhari’s desire on the launching of the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) in 2015 was strategically aimed at delisting Nigeria from the list of rice importers, little did he know that the programme will achieve great success within a short time.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers Programme is intended to create a linkage between the anchor companies involved and smallholder farmers of key agricultural commodities, mainly rice.

Presently, Nigeria has overtaken Egypt as the largest producer of rice in the continent. Nigeria now produces 8 million tons of rice annually as against Egypt’s 4.3 million tons per annum.  On the average, all the African countries put together produce 14.6 million tons of rice annually.

Reports have recently indicated that a business mogul and Chairman of Max Air Holdings, Dahiru Mangal, has started constructing a N20 billion rice mill in Katsina. It will be the biggest rice mill in the African continent. The 36 tons mill per hour will come on stream in two months’ time. This will go a long way in further revolutionising rice production in Nigeria.

Counting the benefits of the border closure, a professional news magazine, Economic Confidential, after a painstaking three weeks survey on foreign rice, came to the conclusion that today only 37%of rice in the Nigerian markets is foreign. This success is largely attributable to government’s emphasis on rice production through support to all manner of rice farmers by the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme and the border closure. The report indicated that as at April last year 70% of rice in the market was foreign.

What the government needs to do to further push the benefits achieved so far is to, among others, consolidate and enhance the gains of the Anchor Borrowers Programme and the border closure so that more and more farmers can cash in and grow more food, particularly Nigeria’s staple, rice. Government must as a matter of necessity liberalise the policies and programmes of rice production by institutionalising incentives for farmers, millers and marketers along the value chain. Availability of farm inputs, fertiliser, implements, herbicides and pesticides among others at subsidised rates with minimal ease of accessibility will go a long way in boosting rice production in the country. This will make government achieve its target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.

It is therefore not in doubt that the PMB administration’s efforts to institutionalise and put agriculture on a strong footing is on course. Nigerians must compliment this resolve by lending their hands of support to achieve the set goals. This will undoubtedly liberate the country from being a rice import dependent country to one that is sufficient in local production and make its surplus available for export.

Musa Ilallah, Emeka Anyaoku Street, Abuja. [email protected]