‘No Nigerian will die if he doesn’t eat imported rice’
The Auditor General of the Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN), Alhaji Musa Labaran, has said that the ban on rice importation into the country through land borders was in the right direction as it will generate employment, boost local production and income of Nigerian rice farmers. Disclosing this last Friday as a […]
The Auditor General of the Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN), Alhaji Musa Labaran, has said that the ban on rice importation into the country through land borders was in the right direction as it will generate employment, boost local production and income of Nigerian rice farmers.
Disclosing this last Friday as a guest on Vision FM radio programme tagged ‘Brugamy’, Labaran maintained that “No Nigerian will die if they don’t eat imported rice”, as there are other alternatives.
“There is shortfall in rice production in the country. Initially we will not meet up the shortfall, but in the long run, production will be boosted as a result of the ban. No journey to success is easy. We must make sacrifices. Let us borrow from countries like China and others and shut down our doors and rely on what we can produce now until we meet the shortfall,” the auditor general said.
He faulted the claim by the Nigerian Customs Service that opening the land borders for rice importation will generate revenue and check smuggling, saying that the revenue generated will not impact directly and positively on the ordinary Nigerian rice farmers.
“Let the policy be effectively implemented and corruption also checked so that it can make the desired impact,” Alhaji Labaran advised.
Some of the callers during the programme supported the ban on importation of rice through the land borders, saying it will help the country to gradually become self-sufficient in rice production, while others kicked against it saying it will make rice very expensive as the country was yet to produce enough rice to feed its people.