Not even in the military days of Olusegun Obasanjo did Nigeria witness such revolution in rice production. President Muhammadu Buhari sure deserves some orchids for his stubborn faith in the Nigerian farmer. There is indeed a rice revolution in the country. The emblems are emerging with bullish boldness. The evidence leaps to your face in mega retail stores, neighbourhood markets and in small corner stores: Nigeria-milled rice. And Nigerians are buying them with a sense of pride.
I wager this is where there is a mutual consent. Both the rich and the poor now consume home-grown rice. From the fertile vast lands of Kebbi State to the loamy terrains of Ebonyi, there is a growing supply of well-milled, stone-free rice coming out of the mills. And it’s all thanks to Buhari’s stubbornness; his iron-cast insistence that Nigerians must eat and buy Nigeria. I just hope Aso Rock tenants do the same: eat Nigeria-milled rice. I just hope all the residents and tenants of state government houses across the country do the same.
But who cares, whether they eat local rice or not, I have long clawed deep into the minefield of home-grown rice. My family can’t have anything to the contrary. We have navigated through various brands of local rice. We have tasted the big brands and some somewhat unknown brands. At last, we have settled for the one we consider the very best of them all. No marketing intended. But this one is a big bull dwarfing others in quality and packaging. Our Nigerian rice is the best. Yes, we can bemoan the fact that some are still not properly de-stoned. I concur.
But some are simply top-notch, healthier and far better than the expired grains from Asia and elsewhere. Buhari has wrought a rice revolution and the economy is the better for it. The people are healthier. The farmers are richer. Marketers are in business. Jobs are created with growing rapidity. Now, there is a rebirth of hope, a rekindling of confidence in the local farmer. The good news is that some progressive state governments are investing in commercial rice farming. Some states are collaborating to grow more rice. And it’s not only rice. All grains that grace our dining table. Beans, millet, maize. President Buhari has stoked the anvil. And the furnace of food production is burning in full effulgence.
Let’s not gloat just yet. Nigeria is far from self-sufficiency in rice production. She is not even among the top nations of the world. China leads the log of top 10 rice producers with an intimidating annual volume of 148.5 million metric tonnes in 2018-2019 production cycle, according to Statistica.com. India follows with 116.42 million metric tonnes. Thailand, the biggest beneficiary of Nigeria’s wanton craze for imported rice, is 6th on the log with over 20 million metric tonnes. Smaller nations like Vietnam, Burma and the Philippines have done well enough to occupy respectable places in the global top 10. By last evaluation, Nigeria now produces over 8 million metric tonnes of milled rice in a year, bettering the output of Egypt and other nations on the continent.
Conservative estimates by international agencies place Nigeria’s annual rice production at 3.2 million metric tonnes. But Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) claims it has established that Nigeria now leads the class in Africa. RIFAN President, Aminu Goronyo, would insist that Nigeria has two rice farming seasons. In each season, 4 million metric tonnes of rice is produced. RIFAN says a good 12 million Nigerians are engaged in the production of the 8 million metric tonnes. This means that in the rice value chain, about 12 million Nigerians have been positively impacted by rice production alone. These same people still have other engagements aside rice production, let’s not forget.
Look not on the statistics. Look at the reality in the markets. For the first time in our history, Nigerian rice now occupy huge spaces in mega stores. For the first time, our local rice gets to the market well packaged and properly branded. Rice millers are not ashamed (or even afraid) to emblazon their names and addresses on rice bags. For the first time, a functional and effective value chain has been created. Rice distributors are busy. And retailers are confidently urging consumers to buy local rice .It’s indeed a revolution. But we must not overlook the contribution of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. Through the Anchor Borrowers’ programme, the CBN has given extra wings to Nigerian farmers especially rice producers. Coupled with the ban placed on 41 items including rice, CBN assumed a key role in the nation’s agriculture chain. Godwin Emefiele and his team at CBN have reasons to vaunt in this regard.
But make no mistake about it, Nigeria is still far from self-sufficiency in rice production. The closure of border has not proved effective. Foreign rice still dot the national marketplace. Courtesy of the pandemic corruption in the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, foreign rice is still smuggled into the country. I worry that a Customs service that ought to help the nation’s economy is the one frustrating every effort to stem capital flight.
To make the most of the new national traction gained in rice production, the Customs should and must ensure strict monitoring of the border closure. Neighbouring countries have taken advantage of Nigeria’s massive population to flood the country with imported rice. The onus is on Customs to stem this tide. Despite public boasts by the Customs chief, Hameed Ali, the service is still the biggest conduit for smuggling across the borders.
The Republic of Benin has over the years profited from massive rice importation targeted at Nigerian market. Benin has a population of about 11.5 million but she is one of the highest importers of rice. The rice is for Nigerian market, not for Benin Republic. At a time, the country has to lower its tariff on rice imports just to grab as much foothold in the Nigerian market. Cameroon had to resort to zero tariff on imported rice. Other neighbouring countries rank high in rice and grains importation. And their target market is Nigeria. Buhari has helped to shut them out, but not completely.
But, hey, there is a little matter of cost. Local rice is expensive. It should not be. The Nigerian government should consider subsiding production cost just so the retail cost would be affordable to the poor. At the moment, rice is still a luxury staple in some homes. Not because they don’t like rice but because they cannot afford it. Let’s think subsidy to help the farmer and save the poor. Let’s make the rice revolution count for the poor, not against them. But, again, President deserves garlands for this bold and brave show of leadership.
Next level should be to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production. It’s possible. The president has shown the will. He should sustain it.