When President Muhammadu Buhari was away on medical vacation in 2017 in United Kingdom, he transmitted power to his Vice, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo to oversee the affairs of the country as acting President.

Consequently Osibanjo as acting president in his presentation at the second annversary of the government raise the hopes of millions of Nigerians that the country was on its way to rise self sufficency.

According to Osibanjo: “I am delighted to note that since 2015 our imports of rice have dropped by 90 percent, while domestic production has almost tripled. Our goal is to produce enough rice to meet local demand by 2019. All of these are evidences that we are taking very seriously our ambition of agricultural self-sufficiency. “The critical points that we must address fully in the next two years are: Agriculture and food security, Energy, (power and Petroleum,) Industrialization and Transport infrastructure.”

On that occasion President Buhari said his administration has reduced rice importation by 90 per cent. This means that 10 per cent importation of rice was still coming into the country.

But industry watchers who are close to Nigerian borders told Daily Sun that Buhari is partially right that rice importation dropped by 90 per cent relates to rice coming from Thailand while the importation from Cameroon, Benin Republic and Niger Republic has increased by 100 per cent.

Though, the President received praises from a cross section of Nigerian farmers for putting some policies in place to develop the agric sector and ensure that people go back to farm excited, other farmers with different opinions said the President has done little in the development of agric sector to earn their praises. They said that the president has not delivered 30 per cent of what he promised as political bigwigs under Buhari’s watch have hijacked most of the policies.

For instance, the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) they argued no longer has significant effects as corruption was eating deep into the programme because the loans are not getting to the right farmers but political farmers. However, farmers described the rice policy as a fluke.

Recently, investigation carried out in five states, which include Lagos, Ekiti, Kebbi, Kaduna and Ebonyi – and in neighbouring Benin Republic, revealed that the ABP, which was touted as the answer to Nigeria’s quest for self-sufficiency in rice production, has failed in most places with the government unable to recoup a large chunk of the N55 billion loan already disbursed.

The ABP has given rise to a multitude of angry farmers who claim the programme has been hijacked by local politicians who disburse funds to fake farmers and has become a means for political patronage, our investigation uncovered.

Efforts by the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) to salvage the programme is merely slogging by, as complaints of the supply of expired herbicide, bad seeds and other challenges are threatening to derail it.
Speaking to Daily Sun, an Agribusiness & Youth Empowerment Coordinator, Community of Agricultural Stakeholders of Nigeria (CASON), Sotonye Anga,said the administration has done well but there is plenty of room for better performane.

He added: “We are glad all over the country, that Nigerians can see significant reduction in the price of rice, which is the major staple food. The cost has gone down reasonably and that’s a plus for the administration. Other things that need strong improvement include the unlocking funding to agriculture, agriculture finance is still low, farmers has not really got the most when it comes to financing agriculture.

“When you are talking about boosting production, you have to master significant financing especially in this time of climate change, we need a whole lot of investment, technology that will promote climate smart agriculture. So farmers need to be better equipped to face the changing time, to face the change in climatic time. There is a lot more room for improvement. The administration has tried but we are asking them to do a lot more,” he added. On the claims of 90 per cent drop on importation of rice by Buhari, he said the rice are still smuggling in from Benin Republic, might send Nigerian farmers of out business.

http://sunnewsonline.com/buhari3-rice-importation-from-3-african-countries-increases-by-100/amp/

When I am still buying foreign rice, please where are local rice

Yeye dey smell.I thought they said Thailand has shut down some of its plants because Nigeria has stopped rice importation?

a few weeks ago, PT did an investigative piece on this matter.

it exposed how the so called rice revolution of this government was a sham & stank of corruption...

about N60b down the drain. but as usual, most nairalanders were too 'lazy' to read the report.

I have always maintained that the overnight rice revolution of this govt was a complete scam frought with secret importation and re-bagging of rice ...

All I know my state have enough rice

I'm not surprised cos APC as a party don't have any integrity.

Party of lies upon lies.