The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has joined the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, and a host of dignitaries , including two state governors to commission a 400 metric tons per day mega rice mill in Kano constructed by Gerawa Group of Companies.
Speaking at the commissioning of the mill and the foundation laying of additional 560 metric tons rice mill, the Emefiele stated that before 2015, Nigeria had less than 10 functional integrated rice mills with a combined capacity less than 350,000 metric tons, but with the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the statistic has grown to over 60 integrated mills with a combined capacity of over three million metric tons.
He added that there are about 10 new integrated mills scheduled to be commissioned this year emphasising that the growing number of integrated mills have been complemented by hundreds of small-scale mills located across the states of the federation in an effort towards boosting the nation’s food security.
He explained that the private sector investment that has been unlocked in the establishment of these rice mills are testimony of the conducive environment created in the rice value chain through the CBN-led initiatives and stakeholders’ cooperation.