The Executive Governor of Jigawa state Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar joins President Muhammadu Buhari to unveil the FCT MEGA rice pyramids in Abuja.
The One million paddy rice stacked in 15 separate pyramids in Abuja, is in collaboration of the CBN with the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN).
Five State Governors including Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi; Kebbi, Atiku Bagudu; Cross River, Prof. Ben Ayade; Ebonyi, David Umayi and that of Jigawa, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar are also in attendance.
The Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele lauded the courage and resilience of the smallholder farmers to achieve this single largest rice pyramid ever assembled in Nigeria’s history.
According to him, it’s in line with the current administration’s promise to provide food security in the country.
Despite the challenges of the past few years including Insurgency, banditry, etc, the farmers remained resilient, producing beyond just self-sufficiency.
The mega pyramids being launched today represents aggregated paddy rice submitted as repayment of loans by RIFAN farmers under the 2020 dry season and 2021 wet seasons.
He further notes that the event also symbolizes the efforts made by farmers to commit to loan repayment through produce submission and ultimately ensure the sustainability of the Programme.
The Anchor Borrower’s Programme of the CBN was launched in November 2015, first in Kebbi state, to bring relief to farmers and impact the value chain of different crops in Nigeria.
The program has also improved the National output to 9.5million metric tonnes in quality rice, making Nigeria the largest food producer in Africa and also Saving Nigeria Foreign exchange and preserving.
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