Food Security: Lagos to Establish Biggest Rice Mill in Nigeria

By Gboyega Akinsanmi

The Lagos State Government on Tuesday said it had started constructing Nigeria’s biggest rice mill, which it said, has the capacity to produce at least 16 metric tonnes per hour and 10,000 metric tonnes per annum.

When completed by December 2017, the state government said the rice mill would significantly help the state to actualise its strategic food security plan and was designed to end hunger.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Oluwatoyin Suarau, disclosed this at a news conference he addressed at Alausa on Tuesday alongside his information & strategy counterpart, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, and the Special Adviser on Food Security, Mr. Ganiyu Sanni-Okanlawon.

Suarau said the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had awarded the contract for the construction of the rice mill with the capacity to  produce 16 metric tonnes per hour, though acknowledged that the state currently has the capacity to produce 2.5 metric tonnes.

He explained that the new rice mill was part of the government’s plan to increase food supply, end the vicious trend of food shortage and equally ensure food security across the state.

More to follow…