The central authorities in Nigeria want to close the borders between Nigeria and some neighbouring countries soon to check the smuggling of foreign rice into the country. Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, dropped the hint in Abuja Thursday while speaking with youths in a leadership clinic under the auspices of Guardians of the Nation International, GOTNI.
According to a report, Chief Ogbeh, who did not mention the particular countries, said the action would also help to encourage local production and sustain the nation’s economy. The Minister accused the unnamed countries of being envious of Nigeria’s strides to boost local production of rice.
Chief Ogbeh expatiated further, “Our other problem is smuggling. As we speak, a neighbour of ours is importing more rice than China. They do not eat parboiled rice, they eat white rice, they use their ports to try and damage our economy”.
He insisted that the nation’s borders would be shut because they have become conduit for imported rice that contains arsenic, which he says, causes cancer. The Minister declared that the federal government would no longer allow such dumping to continue.
According to Chief Ogbeh, the government, in two years, reduced rice importation by 95 per cent and increased the number of rice farmers in the country from five million to 30 million.
He said that states such as Anambra, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Kano and Jigawa have been doing well in rice production. In his words, “The government wants to lead the people to prosperity otherwise, this country will not grow’’. Observers say Chief Ogbeh’s views are valuable because the man has been well-known as a successful farmer.
