Chairman Senate Committee on Agricultural Production Services and Rural Development, Senator Saliu Mustapha, has said the proposed National Rice Council Board Bill before the National Assembly is a major step towards saving Nigeria a whopping $2 billion annually on rice importation.
Mustpha, representing Kwara Central,stated the urgency of the reform, pointing out that Nigeria spends an estimated $2 billion annually on rice imports.
The proposed bill, he said, was designed to reverse that trend by coordinating production, processing, and distribution across the country.
“The goal is to build a full agricultural value chain, from farm to reserve, to processing,” Mustapha said.
The Turakin of Ilorin stated this Tuesday when the senate received his committee reports on three key bills designed to boost local production and reduce the country’s heavy reliance on imports.
Presenting the reports at the floor of the hallow chamber during plenary, he outlined the far-reaching impact of the proposed legislation.
The bills under consideration include the National Food Reserve Agency Bill and the Mandatory Cassava Inclusion in Flour Production Bill, both sponsored by Mustapha as well as the National Rice Council Board Bill sponsored by Senator Adamu Aliero, representing Kebbi Central.
Mustapha described the bills as critical interventions that align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in ensuring food security for the nation as well as job creation in the agricultural sector while strengthening the agricultural value chain.