Nigeria Will Be Self-Sufficient in Rice Production in 18 Months – President

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in Abuja said his administration would make Nigeria self-sufficient in rice production within 18 months. The president, who was speaking at the Ramadan breaking of fast with members of the business community, said 13 states of the federation had been identified for the production of the crop.

He said the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, had already been briefed on how best to achieve the target. Mr. Buhari decried how the nation’s scarce resources were wasted on the importation of food items by the previous regimes. He said the nation had no option than to concentrate more on agriculture and solid mineral activities.