Rice Farmers seeks partnership with ACCI

The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has sought to partner with the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) in driving forward the rice revolution in Nigeria.

The National President of RIFAN, Aminu Goronyo, said this when he visited the ACCI President, Dr Al-Mujtaba Abubakar, in Abuja.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by Mrs Olayemi John-Mensah, Media/Strategy Officer, ACCI, Goronyo said that the association is set to launch the largest rice pyramid to demonstrate the possibility of local food production.

Aminu said that the association was able to produce 8.5 to 9 million metric tonnes monthly and Nigerians consume 1.8 million tonnes daily.

"When government ordered the shutdown of borders, we had to increase local production of rice as a staple food. The rice consumed by Nigerians is locally produced and the best for consumption," Aminu said.

He said that rice production was the single largest employment revolution in Nigeria, adding that the activities on ground have truly shown that rice production was still evolving in Nigeria.

On his part, the President ACCI, Abubakar said that the rice pyramids on display at the ACCI premises showed that RIFAN was doing well.

Abubakar added that the rice revolution had brought in a lot of changes in Nigeria's agricultural sector.

"Despite insecurity, what we are seeing in the display of the rice pyramid is massive and we know that without insecurity the production will have been more. Agricultural market is what will revive the economy if we face it squarely," he said.

The ACCI Vice President Agriculture, Dr Kolawole Owoka, commended RIFAN, saying "what Nigeria needs is production to help our youth engage meaningfully and to also drive our foreign exchange''.

"We will look at the value chain as a Chamber and see where we can key in, and that will be part of the Memorandum of Understanding to be signed with your association," Owoka said.

The Director General ACCI, Victoria Akai, who also lauded RIFAN reiterated that the Chamber was happy to partner with the association.

She added that Nigeria has huge potential in agriculture but has not really tapped into it.

"In whatever we are doing, we must tap into the land to harness the potential therein. RIFAN is a well-structured association and we know if we partner with you it will create great impact on our members," Akai said.

Supreme reports that the building of the paddy rice pyramid at ACCI premise started mid-December 2021 and has been a centre of attraction for many passers-by.