Nigeria : Senate moves to slash $2bn rice imports, boost food security with new agro bills
Nigeria’s Senate approved key agriculture bills to boost food security and cut imports, including plans for a national food reserve system, mandatory 20% cassava inclusion in flour, and a rice council to strengthen the value chain, aiming to reduce $2 billion annual rice imports and enhance self-sufficiency.
The Senate has taken a major step towards strengthening Nigeria’s food system, receiving committee reports on three key bills designed to boost local production and reduce the country’s heavy reliance on imports.
Presenting the reports on the floor of the chamber during plenary, Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central and chairs the Senate Committee on Agricultural Production Services and Rural Development, outlined the far-reaching impact of the proposed legislation.
The bills under consideration include the National Food Reserve Agency Bill and the Mandatory Cassava Inclusion in Flour Production Bill, both sponsored by Mustapha, as well as the National Rice Council Board Bill sponsored by Senator Adamu Aliero, representing Kebbi Central in the National Assembly.
Mustapha described the bills as critical interventions that align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda in ensuring food security for the nation, as well as job creation in the agricultural sector, while strengthening the agricultural value chain.
Explaining the intent of each bill, the lawmaker noted that the Food Reserve Agency Bill seeks to establish a national system for storing grains and stabilising market prices.
The Cassava Inclusion Bill, he said, will mandate a minimum of 20 per cent cassava content in flour production, a move aimed at cutting down Nigeria’s dependence on imported wheat.
On the rice sector, Mustapha emphasised the urgency of reform, pointing out that Nigeria spends an estimated $2 billion annually on rice imports.
The proposed National Rice Council Board Bill, he said, is designed to reverse that trend by coordinating production, processing and distribution across the country.
“The goal is to build a full agricultural value chain, from farm to reserve, to processing,” Mustapha said.
He also said the measures would enhance economic stability and promote self-sufficiency.
The Senate unanimously passed the bills, which will now proceed to the House of Representatives for concurrence before being transmitted to the President for assent.
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Source : Nigerian Tribune
