Nigeria To Ban Importation Of Rice, Fertilizer

MINISTER of Trade and Investments, Dr Segun Aganga, yesterday disclosed that the Federal Government would, by 2014, ban the importation of Rice and Fertiliser in the country. He also revealed that the Federal Government, in partnership with eminent Nigerians have saved the sum of N10 billion with the Bank of Industry (BOI) for Industrial drive in the country.The Minister said the amount was earmarked for development of Small and Micro-medium businesses in Nigeria, which he described as the highest employers of labour in any economy.Aganga made the disclosure in Ado Ekiti at the close of the two-day Economic and Development Summit organised by Governor Kayode Fayemi'led Administration in commemoration of its first year in office.He regretted that the country had not been able to make meaningful impact in the area of Agriculture in the face of over 80 million hectares of land that is available to Nigerian citizens for farming, of which less than half is presently being utilised.The former Minister of Finance assured Nigerians that the President Jonathan- led government is committed to the development of the real sector of the economy, assuring that Agriculture would play a leading role to strengthen the economy.He said, based on the new agenda of the government to boost agriculture, it has become imperative to ban the importation of rice in the country to encourage local production of the product by encouraging local farmers and graduates to take to rice cultivation.
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