Osinbajo: Nigeria Will Be Self Sufficient in Rice Production by 2019

By Adedayo Akinwale‎ in Abuja

‎Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has once again reassured Nigerians that the country will be self sufficient in rice production by 2019.

The acting president gave the assurance Wednesday in Abuja at the launch and official handover ceremony of Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) system developed through the Agricultural Market and Information System (AMIS) project to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Osinbajo, who was represented by the Special Assistant to the President on Economic Management Team, Mr. Dolapo‎ Bright, said that the federal government’s effort at revolutionising agriculture and diversifying the country’s economy was already paying off.

According to him, “The effort is now paying off in so many ways. For example, the success with rice production has been tremendous. It started with Kebbi, but when you look at rice now, it has gone pass Kebbi, you have Kano, Bauchi and Jigawa doing well. You have all the states in the north that are now involved in rice production. Apart from Ebonyi, even Bayelsa is also doing well in rice production. Probably by 2019, we should be self sufficient in rice.”

Osinbajo however blamed the high cost of local production of rice on infrastructural deficit, especially roads connecting the hinterland to the city.

Details later…