Traditional rulers excited as Buhari opens 32-metric tonnes per hour Lagos rice mill

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday inaugurated the 32 metric ton per hour Lagos Rice Mill in Imota, Ikorodu, a suburb of Lagos, saying the mill will support the rice revolution in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Lagos Rice Mill, Imota is a two x 16 metric ton per hour mill located on an area of ​​8.5 hectares.

This project has an annual rice requirement of more than 240,000 metric tons to produce 2.5 million sacks of 5OKg rice per year.

Mr. Buhari, who landed in Imota around 5:30pm, took a brief tour of the factory in the company of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos senator, Tokunbo Abiru; Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Lagos State, Corlenious Ojelabi;

Other officials who accompanied the president included the Commissioner for Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, the Special Adviser to the governor on Rice Initiative, Rotimi Fashola; NiDCOM boss, Abike Dabiri-Erewa and traditional rulers Jimi Benson and Oba Gbolahan Lawal.

The President opened the rice project and observed a brief view of how it is produced and packaged.

Speaking at the event, Mr Paid Up Capital said Lagos is ready to support Mr. Buhari’s rice revolution.

According to him, the Lagos Imota Rice Mill is part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s agricultural revolution.

“When he started his administration, he said Nigeria should grow what it eats and should eat what it grows.

“We are happy that Lagos is proof. With 2.5 million bags of 50kg rice every year, Lagos is ready to support the rice and food revolution in Nigeria.

The two rice milling units will create nearly 250,000 direct and indirect jobs. We want to thank the local community of Imota in Ikorodu. Thank you to everyone who waited patiently.

“Mr. president is very happy that we have declared more in Nigeria and in sub-Saharan Africa,” he said.

Also speaking, Mrs. Olusanya said the factory will produce rice that is beneficial to Lagos residents at an affordable price.

In addition, Mr. Fashola said the factory will carry out cleaning, boiling, drying, sorting, transporting, polishing and bagging of rice using digital, automatic and ‘new’ machines in the world.

In his contribution, the Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Lagos State and South-West Zone, Femi Oke, commended the state government for the initiative.

Mr. Oke said the farmers would continue to support the factory by giving them more fields.

Raphael Hunsa, Chairman, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, said the new rice mill would encourage farmers to produce more in the state.

Mr. Hunsa asked the state government to continue to empower farmers with tools to increase the production of paddy for factory feed.

“This project is very good, it is a joy for us as rice farmers in Lagos. I am happy that something like this is happening in Lagos,” he said.

Meanwhile, traditional rulers in the country applauded the state government for the completion and inauguration of the factory in the community of Imota, Ikorodu.

Speaking at the event, the traditional rulers described the project as a landmark achievement.

The traditional rulers are Oba Kabir Shotobi, Ayangbure of Ikorodu; Oba Ajibade Agoro, the traditional ruler of Imota and Oba Omogbolahan Lawal, the Oniru of Iruland.

Mr. Shotobi, commended the federal and state governments for establishing a rice mill in Imota and promised that the project would be managed by the community.

He said the rice mill would provide huge economic opportunities to the people and employment to the youth in the area.

According to him, the rice mill will provide great opportunities for Imota, especially in the field of employment.

“I urge the youth to stop looking for white collar jobs but focus on agriculture or study agriculture to improve the country’s food chain,” he said.

Also, the traditional ruler of Imota, Oba Ajibade Agoro, said the project would boost the commercial and economic development of the Imota community.

He praised the Governor of Sanwo-Olu for starting and seeing to the completion of the rice mill, saying that the facility will have a positive multiplier effect on the community.

“I am the happiest man on earth today because this happened when I was the Oba of Imota.

“I have been on the throne for 30 years and I will celebrate with this inauguration because it is a landmark achievement bestowed upon the people of Imota during my tenure.

“This plant will bring production factors that will promote commercial and economic development.

“This factory is projected to create up to 250,000 jobs, imagine the multiplying effect of that number if added to our community with its dependents,” said Agoro.

Also speaking, Oba Lawal, the Oniru of Iru land, commended the Lagos State Government for being the first state to have a state-owned factory and the host community to provide the land.

He noted that the rice project which was first started as Eko Rice has contributed greatly to the country’s growth and provided employment through the rice value chain from production to milling and transportation.

“I am very happy about this development. I remember 2011 to 2012, when Eko Rice started, the capacity was 2.5 metric tons.

“We can create many jobs through the rice value chain.

“Today, we are on eight hectares of land that is optimally utilized and the number of projects that will be created is amazing, this is the biggest in West Africa,” said Oniru.

NAN reports that state government officials, traditional rulers, members of AFAN, Ogbonge Women Farmers Association, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria and secondary school students were among the officials who organized the event.