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President Muhammadu Buhari has commended Lagos and Kebbi states for the successful partnership that gave rise to the local production of LAKE (Lagos-Kebbi) Rice.
The President, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, yesterday particularly commended the commitment of Governors Akinwunmi Ambode and Atiku Bagudu in bringing to fruition the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in March this year on substantially meeting the country’s rice requirement.
He also expressed delight at the relatively cheaper LAKE Rice, especially at this period of recession.
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“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, adding that 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.”
While urging other states to replicate the laudable example of LAKE Rice in other staple crops and dairy products, the President pledged Federal Government’s readiness to continue to support such initiatives by providing the enabling environment, policies and incentives for agriculture to thrive for the country to achieve food security.
Buhari said he remains optimistic that going forward, Nigeria would attain rice sufficiency by 2019.
