Food Security: Sani Bello Cautions Against Export Of Food Items

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state has called for caution in the freighting of essential farm produce to neighbouring countries for monetary gains at the expense of the masses, saying the act is capable of undermining national security.
He made this call at the weekend during the commissioning of a modern integrate rice processing and milling plant financed by the Government of Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Bida.
The governor stressed that as much as government will encourage the people to engage in legitimate business within and outside the country, the need for patriotism and national security should not be played down.
He noted that the bumper harvest recorded this last farming season was a product of a deliberate policy of All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration at the national and state levels to re-position agriculture as the mainstay of the economy and to ensure national food security.
The governor cautioned that efforts by government may be threatened “if we produce so much and our people cannot get the food to buy at reasonable price”.
He observed that the bumper harvest recorded this year has not translated to fall in prices of food items as a result of alleged activities of some individuals who for monetary gains are ferrying food items for sale in neighbouring countries.
Gov. Sani Bello said plans were afoot by the state government in conjunction with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to buy off the farmers some strategic and major food items. This he said was to help protect farmers from being exploited and to ensure food security.
The governor commended the government and people of Korea for financing the rice processing plant, stressing that the sitting of the mill in the state was a fulfilment of his resolve to explore all avenues to attract investors and projects to the state, especially through Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives.
He then directed the state Ministry of Agriculture to ensure proper management of the rice mill by engaging competent firm to manage the facility.
Earlier the Korean ambassador, Mr. Noh Kyu-Duk said his country gesture was informed by Nigeria’s huge potentials, comparative advantage of cultivating rice and becoming self-sufficient.
He however noted that non-availability of high rice production capacity has been the major obstacle of achieving self-sufficiency in rice production in Nigeria.