GOVERNMENT’S NEGLECT OF NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES WORSENS RICE SMUGGLING IN NIGERIA
GOVERNMENT’S NEGLECT OF NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES WORSENS RICE SMUGGLING IN NIGERIA
Smuggled rice
Attempts by the
Federal Government to tame importation of rice into Nigeria through the land
borders may remain elusive, as indications have emerged from industry watchers
that the situation was getting worse.
The situation is such
that unless drastic measures are taken against neighboring countries, local
rice millers may not strive despite government’s drive to attain
self-sufficiency.
Although Permanent
Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Bukar Hassan, recently noted that no rice
was imported into the country through the seaport in 2017, Nigerians continue
to buy foreign rice.
It is, however,
important to note that among other countries, Thailand constitutes a major
threat to the country’s self- sufficiency drive, but there is the need to take
out the landing point from where the produce are smuggled into the country.
Managing Director
Agro Nigeria, Richard-Mark Mbaram, at a press briefing in Abuja on the upcoming
Conference on Rice scheduled for April 12 and 13, said there was the need to
take definite, radical measures against the neighboring countries.
He pointed out that
the countries that share border with Nigeria were stockpiling rice more than
they could consume to the extent that if they had to feed their people with it
they would be eating rice in their sleep.
He said: “There is no
point playing the big brother, there is no point putting necessities to the
fore. It is about our life as a nation and the businesses of our people. These
are corporate entities, if their businesses are challenged, government must let
them know that if Benin Republic and Cameroun does not desist from the act,
clear economic measures would be taken against them.
Mbaram stressed the
need to raise the issue at the Economic Community of West African State
(ECOWAS) and African Union (AU) level, adding that it should not be held under
the table as people’s businesses were being threatened and government must
deploy clear measures to show their concern.
He further stressed
the need for government to look into the advantages that attract smugglers so
as to get a better way of shifting their attention from smuggling and that
bilateral agreement could be reached with countries so that they could change
their stance.
He pointed out that
the conference was put together to chronicle the country’s march towards
self-sufficiency in rice production, noting that although the country was
making steady progress in rice production, there was the need to motivate the
private sector and mainstream them into action.
He disclosed that
Kebbi and Ogun states would participate in the conference while the big players
in the industry would be given opportunity to address some of the challenges
affecting the sub-sector.
The Representative of
Syngenta, Ephraim Manga pointed out that some of the challenges facing rice
farmers include poor quality input and low technology adoption by Nigerian
farmers.
