Lagos spends N20bn on rice mill

The Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Bisola Olusanya, has on Thursday said about N20 billion has been spent on Imota Rice Mill in Ikorodu, which is at 85 per cent completion level.

She also said 250,000 jobs would be created with the 32-metric tons per hour rice mill slated for commissioning this year.

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Olusanya, at a ministerial press briefing to mark the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, said Imota will produce its own brand of Eko rice.

The agriculture commissioner also said Lagos has not abandoned the rice partnership with Kebbi State which birthed Lake rice, as rice paddies from Kebbi and other states would be processed at Imota.

The commissioner also said the state has developed partnerships for rice paddy production with the South West states and Kebbi, Niger, Kwara and Kano states, and private-sector initiatives for rice paddy sourcing.

Although Lagos produces about 24 per cent of its food needs and depends on other regions, she said the state was open to more partnerships because by 2030, Lagosians would require food worth N6.3 trillion annually.

She said the state was developing a central food logistics hub at Songhai, Araga in Epe area which could create 100,000 jobs and produce 62,250 birds for egg production per cycle; 104,000 birds for meat production; 267.6 tons of fish and 25 tons of assorted vegetables.