Mr. Godwin Emefiele, Nigeria’s Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, has joined the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe and a host of dignitaries including two state governors to commission a 400 metric tons per day mega rice mill in Kano State. The factory is owned and constructed by Gerawa Group of Companies.
Aside commissioning the mill, the promoters also held the foundation laying of an additional 560 metric tons rice mill.
The CBN Governor who spoke at the event said the government has improved the number of functional integrated rice mills from 10 to 60. According to him Nigeria has a combined capacity of less than 350,000 metric tons in 2015, which has improved three million metric tons.
The CBN governor added that there are about 10 new integrated mills scheduled to be commissioned this year emphasising that the growing number of integrated mills have been complemented by hundreds of small-scale mills located across the states of the federation in an effort towards boosting the nation’s food security.
He explained that the private sector investment that has been unlocked in the establishment of these rice mills are testimony of the conducive environment created in the rice value chain through the CBN-led initiatives and stakeholders’ cooperation.
Commenting on Fidelity Bank’s support for the project, the Fidelity Bank Boss, who was represented at the event by the Bank’s Executive Director, Northern Businesses, Hassan Imam, said, “At Fidelity Bank, we are known for facilitating transactions such as this where the impact is phenomenal and often on a national scale. We are pleased to be associated with this project because of its potential to not only improve the lives of many small-holder farmers in Jigawa, Kano and environs but to also develop the country’s rice value chain and ensure food security.”
The chief host at the well-attended event and Chairman, Gerawa Group of Companies, Alhaji Isa Muhammed Gerawa stated that the establishment of the rice mill was a testimony of the efficacy of the federal government’s agricultural development policies in encouraging farming and other related activities with support from the CBN. He added that the intended 560 metric tons capacity rice mill will be completed in November 2022.
The occasion was graced by the Executive Governors of Jigawa State, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and of Kebbi State, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; captains of industries and heads of corporate organizations.
