Nigeria emerges second largest producer of rice – Presidency

February 19, 2017 5:50 PM

Garba made this known in Abuja while speaking on the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to restructure the economy.

Nigeria has achieved the status of second largest producer of rice in the world, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, has said.

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In his words: “No country will develop when you have to import virtually everything, including tooth pick and tissue paper. All the food we eat in this country was being imported. So, all of the money earned was just going to buy food.

“But as I speak to you now, Nigeria just achieved the record of the second largest producer of rice in the world. The rice revolution just started a year ago. Some of you from Nasarawa know the kind of things going on there. A newspaper did an investigation in Kebbi and they found out that there were 48,000 new millionaires in Kebbi state alone last year for growing rice.

“This over reliance on oil has killed this country and we cannot continue like this. So, the diversification of the economy means more money will be in the hands of ordinary Nigerians. And there will be widespread prosperity all over the country.”