The Republic of Liberia says it will partner with the Jigawa state government to boost rice production and enhance food security in the country.
David Akoi, Liberian Minister of Agriculture, said this on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to Gov. Umar Namadi in Dutse.
Akoi is visiting Jigawa on a study tour focused on rice production in Nigeria.
He said the visit would give the Liberian visiting team opportunities to learn about the complexities of rice cultivation, gain hands-on experience, and gain a deeper understanding of the entire rice value chain, thus changing Liberia’s current burden of rice importation.
“In Liberia, rice is our staple food. We eat rice in the morning, afternoon, and at night. It is not just a staple food; it is a political commodity. If you ever followed the history of Liberia, in 1979, we overthrew our president, William R. Tolbert, just because he attempted to increase the price of rice. That led to the ‘rice riot,’ subsequently to his ouster.
“When we took over the government, we found that although we eat rice three or four times daily, we are not producing enough rice. We are importing 70 per cent of the rice we consume. So, our government is determined to change that narrative, aiming to produce at least 70 per cent of our consumption needs,” he said.
Akoi said the president of Liberia sent him to Nigeria, particularly Jigawa state, instead of going further west to find solutions to his country’s rice demand.
“We are here in a peaceful study of the rice value chain, and how Nigeria has managed to progress from where they were to where they are, what lessons we can learn, and how they manage to overcome the challenges.
“The simple reason we are here is to study what Jigawa has been able to do and what they have been able to accomplish so that we can take the knowledge back to Liberia to see how we can transform our rice value chain,” he said.
Responding, Namadi commended the Republic of Liberia for choosing the state for the study tour, saying that the visit would enable both parties to share ideas and benefits for the success of the rice value chain.
Namadi highlighted his administration’s strides in agriculture, describing agriculture as the mainstay of the state’s economy.
“Agriculture is the mainstay of our economy. From the onset of our administration, we resolved that the best way to improve Jigawa’s economy and the livelihoods of our people is to improve agriculture,” he said.
The governor said that about 200,000 hectares of rice fields were being cultivated, compared to 60,000 and 70,000 hectares in 2023.
He said the state government was targeting expanding rice cultivation to about 300,000 hectares by 2030, enabling it to produce 50 per cent of Nigeria’s rice needs.
“The state government believes it can only improve its economy and the people’s livelihoods through agriculture, so it’s implementing different programmes to improve agriculture,” he said.
According to Namadi, the Jigawa government is also implementing innovative agricultural practices to combat climate change, which negatively impacts production. Hence, the shift from rain-fed farming to irrigation.
He said the state was cultivating more land by revamping 10 irrigation dams, increasing production by over 4,500 hectares.
Namadi said that his administration has procured 300 new tractors, 60 combined harvesters, 150 planters, other agricultural equipment, and introduced tractor hiring scheme, to enhance rice and cereal crops production in the state. (NAN)
