FG to concession 22 grain silos

The Federal Government has begun the process to concession 22 out of its 33 silos to the private sector to address concern over rising cost of food.

The Acting Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) Engr. Chidi Kingsley Izuwah said this at the silos concession financial bid opening yesterday in Abuja.

He said the concession will ensure availability of affordable grains across the country.

“What we are doing today is transformational for the agric sector in line with the plans of the president to transform the agric sector. If we have a system where our rice is harvested by harvesters and taken to silos, we don’t need to spend billions of Naira’s installing de-stoners,” Izuwah said. 

The Acting Director, Food and Strategic Resource Department, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Shehu Bello, said the concession would be done in a transparent manner and in partnership with the ICRC in line with the extant regulations.

The silo complexes were established to provide immediate food relief in times of emergency, provide appropriate mechanism, guarantee minimum price scheme to make farmers earn remunerative prices for their produce, provide a mechanism for price stabilisation and storage capacity for excess production, and reduce post-harvest losses.