Tag: “Lake Rice”

President Muhammadu Buhari has commended Lagos and Kebbi states for the successful partnership that gave rise to the local production of Lake Rice.

The President specifically commended the commitment of Governors Akinwunmi Ambode and Atiku Bagudu in bringing to fruition the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in March 2016 on substantially meeting the country’s rice requirement.

In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President expressed delight at the relatively cheaper price of Lake Rice, especially at this period of recession.

“It gladdens my heart to get reports of our citizens rushing to purchase this cheaper local rice to enable them and their families enjoy the Christmas and New Year celebrations,” the President noted.

According to him, what the two states have done is “evidence of a new base being laid for the Nigerian economy, founded and propelled by agriculture, away from substantial dependence on oil and gas for national revenue.”

Recalling his 2017 Budget presentation before the National Assembly, he said: “A new era is rising in which we must grow what we eat and consume what we make,”

The Lake Rice achievement, he said, is in furtherance of the above goal.

While urging other state governments to replicate the laudable example of Lake Rice in other staple crops and dairy products, President Buhari pledged the Federal Government’s readiness to continue to support such initiatives by providing the enabling environment, policies and incentives for agriculture to thrive so that the nation can achieve food security.

Many Lagos residents yesterday flocked centres where the “Lake Rice” is being sold for N12,000 per bag.

Lake Rice is a product of the joint agricultural venture between Lagos and Kebbi states designed to ensure food security and showcase the country’s ability to become a rice producing nation.

The name Lake Rice is borne out of the acronym of the states with LA standing for Lagos and KE for Kebbi.

Mr Sanni Okanlawon, Special Adviser on Food Security to Governor Akinwumi Ambode, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the government was fulfiling its promise of giving residents a blissful Yuletide.

He said the price was reduced toN12,000 from N13,000 to ensure that Lagosians had access to it for an enjoyable Christmas celebration.

“We are happy to inform Lagosians that the Lake rice is out and available at the various local government areas and local council development areas.

“A 50kg bag is currently selling at N12,000 that is a huge discount considering the price of rice at retail markets. That shows how eager the state government is to give its folks the best. So, we urge everybody to go to those locations to get their bag,” Okanlawon said.

The special adviser, however, said he could not confirm the number of trailer loads at each sales point but stated that they were enough to go round.

When NAN visited the Oko-Oba, Agege sales point, two 40-foot trailers were seen loaded with the produce, while a crowd waited on the queue to buy.

A buyer, Mr Segun Esan, said he came out quickly to buy before Christmas Day.

Esan said he would prefer Lake Rice because it was fresh and made in Nigeria, adding that it is cheap compared to imported rice presently sold at N18,000 in some markets.

A teacher, Mrs Felicia Ajiroba, praised the government for the initiative, adding that the rice would ensure that residents had food during the festive period.

“When I learnt that the price of rice was N20, 000 in the market, I was worried because I felt I would not cook rice for my family during Christmas.

“It is too expensive and I cannot afford it with my meagre salary.

“The subsidised Lake Rice is comforting and a blessing to many residents of Lagos. It shows that the government is concerned about our plight,” she said.

ake Rice – a joint venture between Lagos and Kebbi states – was launched in Alausa, Ikeja, yesterday.

The long-awaited rice will be on sale from today. It will sell for N12,000 per bag of 50kg. The 25kg goes for N6000.

The price is expected to force down the price of imported price, which goes for at least N18,000 per bag.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and his Kebbi counterpart, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu described the venture as historic for both states and the country.

“Today is an historic day for Lagos and Kebbi states. In March, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an understanding that we, being proudly Nigerian, want to come out with what is made in Nigeria and what is good in Nigeria. We took all that President Muhammadu Buhari said that we need to grow our food and we decided that we will prove a point and that is what today is all about.

“Lake Rice is of good quality. The major difference between Lake Rice and the ones imported is that the imported has a minimum storage life span of five to six years, but Lake Rice is fresh,” Ambode said.

He said the partnership would in future lead to an expansion of production, adding that Lagos has the largest consumption market.

The governor said the 50kg would sell for N12,000, 25kg, N6,000 and 10kg, N2,500, adding that for now, an individual would only be allowed to buy a bag to enable it go round.

He hailed President Buhari for supporting the venture, saying the Federal Government has donated two rice mills to the state to increase rice production next year.

Bagudu said  the partnership was a confirmation of both states’ commitment to the agenda of making Nigeria a big market in Africa.

He said while Kebbi has comparative advantage in rice production, Lagos boasts of the largest consumption market, explaining that Lake Rice can stand any integrity test.

“Our rice is of quality. I am proud of this joint venture. We can do more with other commodities like cocoa, soya bean and Sorghum and I am very glad that we are launching the Lake Rice today (yesterday),” Bagudu said.

Ambode’s Special Adviser on Food Security, Ganiyu Okanlawon Sanni, who unveiled the process of buying the rice earlier, said the commodity would be collected after payment at designated banks or through Point-of-Sale (POS). Individuals, he said, would only be allowed to buy one bag so that the product can go round.

In Lagos East Senatorial District, Sanni said the rice would be sold at Odogunyan Farm Service Centre in Ikorodu; Temu Farm Service Centre in Epe; Naforiji Town Hall in Eredo; Magbon Alade School in Ibeju and SUBEB premises in Maryland.

In Lagos West, it will be sold at LSADA Farm Service Centre, Oko-Baba in Agege; LAISA in Ojo; Coconut House in Mowo; Farm Service Centre, Marina in Badagry and Ikeja Grammar School in Oshodi.

In Lagos Central, it will be available at Agric Area Office in Ajah; LASTMA Works Yard in Adeniji/Freeman, Lagos Island; Alakoto Senior High School, Tolu in Ajegunle; Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere and Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre (Rowe Park) in Yaba.

Sanni said officials of the sale monitoring committee would be present at all the centres, adding that payment can be made to bank officials at the centres.

He said: “Slip will be given to each customer willing to buy indicating the quantum of rice the buyer wishes to buy and we will also have officers from the bank at each of the centres where people can make payment and confirmation can be done immediately. Once they pay and we are sure they have made payment, the bag of whatever quantum they have paid for will be given to them there and then and so we will continue this exercise until we are satisfied that Lagosians are satisfied based on our promise.

“An individual will only be entitled to buy one bag whether it is 50kg, 25kg or 10kg. We are about 22 million people in Lagos State and we believe there is need for the government to make sure that at least every individual is given the opportunity to buy the rice as promised earlier so that at this time of the Yuletide, everybody can have the opportunity to buy and because the prices of the rice outside are so exorbitant, we believe we should allow everybody to have opportunity to buy.”