FG Plans 40 Rice Mills …Moves To Check Arms Abuse, Attacks

The Federal Government says it is facilitating the procurement of additional 40 large-scale rice mills to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production by 2018.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, at a workshop themed “Big Boost for Agro Diversification and Export.’’
Ogbeh said that the Integrated Rice Mills (IRMs) of the ministry had increased the rice milling capacity in the country.
He said that the ministry’s new goal was to attain self-sufficiency in food production and annually export 10 million metric tonnes of food to ECOWAS region and beyond by 2019.
According to the minister, the country’s food import bill has further declined from N1.1 trillion in 2009 to N684 billion in 2013.
“Nigeria has huge agricultural potentials with 11 million hectares of arable land but only cultivates 40 per cent; 263 billion cubic metres of water with two of the largest rivers in Africa.
“We have a cheap labour force to support agriculture intensification. We grow our food, feed ourselves and create local and international markets for our farmers and also unlock our enormous potentials in agriculture.
“We can achieve the economic diversification goal of government and surmount the present economic recession.
“I hope with the help of the Pentair, Good Rain, Dayu irrigation, Zhong Zhou Poultry, Jinan and our local companies, we will diversify and get out of recession in no time,’’ Ogbeh said.
Don Ekesiobi, Managing Director, Eurobase Nigeria Limited, the workshop organiser, said his company and the Ministry of Agriculture brought to Nigeria six world leading agro companies for partnership.
Ekesiobi said that the companies would introduce and showcase for adoption, technologies to turn around neglected agro value chain of the country in six months.
“I hereby state that any state, local government, commercial and private agro company that adopts and partner with these corporations will be on their way out of recession within a short time.
“Nigeria’s arable land has capacity to generate $100billion annually, if we take agro chain value seriously this time.
“If Chile and other countries can survive on agriculture with huge favour, Nigeria can do the same if it adopts and apply the right technology,’’ he said.
He urged states, local governments and stakeholders to identify crops that are adaptable to their terrain.
Ekesiobo added that the partnership would boost and achieve sustainable economic growth and job creation in the country.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has set up a committee to liaise with stakeholders in the Niger Delta region to end the bombing of pipelines and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
Coordinator of the committee known as the Niger Delta Riverine Protection Programme, Mr. Tikari Danjuma, said this at a media briefing in Abuja, yesterday.
He explained that his committee, which was being coordinated by the Office of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs in liaison with the office of the National Security Adviser, is saddled with the responsibility of working with critical stakeholders to recover illegal weapons, curtail the spate of bombings and the operation of illegal refineries in the Niger Delta region.
Danjuma noted that the programme is also part of federal government’s initiative to address several years of neglect of the region and check the spate of violence in the region.
He said, “In order to consolidate on the peace process initiated by Mr. President, the Federal government, through the office of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has set up the Niger Delta Riverine Protection Programme.
“The programme is aimed at driving further the peace process initiated by the federal government. Part of the mandate of this programme is to recover illegal arms and ammunition in the region; ensure adequate protection of federal government assets in the region and curtail the incidence of illegal refineries in the region.”
He equally explained that the Niger Delta region is in dire need of development in terms of its human capital and physical infrastructure.
This, he said, cannot be achieved in an atmosphere of lawlessness, violence and anarchy.
The coordinator said since government has expressed its willingness to correct the ills of the past, it behooves on the people of the region to give all the cooperation needed to make the region attain its full potential and guarantee a better future for generations yet unborn.
Danjuma revealed that his committee will be meeting with critical stakeholders in the region to unveil details of its programme.
He appealed to individuals and groups in the region, especially those who possess illegal arms to surrender such arms in the interest of the peace and stability of not only the region but Nigeria as a whole.