- The Federal Government said it plans to review import policy on staple food items such as rice, wheat and fish.
- Describing the policy as “unfavourable,” it added that it would ensure that the country was self-sufficient in food production before the restriction of the importation of these food items.
- Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sonny Echono, spoke in Abuja during a meeting with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), Uju Hassan-Baba.
He said:“The ministry would in the next three years seek the review of the current unfavorable policy by the Federal Government which allows the importation of staple food items such as rice, wheat and fish into the country.”
- It added that the Ministry and NIPC had resolved to partner in the promotion of strategic investments in the agricultural sector.
- It underscored the need to attract more investments in the sector, explaining that Nigeria has comparative advantage in the development of agricultural sector in view of her vast arable land, huge population and markets.
- Echono pointed out that the main target of the Ministry was to guarantee food security for the country as well as export food items to other countries in the West African sub-region.
