Nigeria had saved N288 billion ($800 million) in Rice Export

Contrary to the Bank of Agriculture (BOA)’s claim that Nigeria had saved N288 billion ($800 million) from rice imports, there are indications that the country has spent N828 billion ($2.3 billion) importing the grain between 2017 and August, 2018, New Telegraph has learnt.

The bank had earlier stated that the Federal Government had succeeded in encouraging local production through its assistance to farmers.
According to the bank’s Executive Director, Finance and Risk Management, Niyi Akenzua, BoA had disbursed N150 billion to assist farmers between 2017 and 2018.
He noted in Lagos that farmers received N100 billion last year, while a total of N50 billion had been disbursed this year out of the N250 billion earmarked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s intervention scheme.
However, import data from a global trade portal, Index Mundi, revealed that the country had imported some 5.6 million tons so far, between 2017 and 2018 at a global price of $410 per ton despite the ban imposed on the importation of the grain through the land borders.
The trade portal noted that local production had been statistic since 2015, leaving a room for more importation through the neighbouring port.
Besides, it revealed that Nigerian milled rice production had remained at 3.78 million in the last two years.
Instead of downward reduction in the 2.1 million tons recorded in 2015, this newspaper gathered that last August, Nigeria imported three million tons of the grain.
Also, it was learnt that 2.6 million tons of the grain were imported in 2017, while domestic consumption had climbed to 6.9 milliuon tons as at last August from 6.4 million tons in 2015.
Last year, it would be recalled that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said that some tons of rice valued at N597.7 billion were seized between January and August 2016.
It was also said that 497,279 bags of imported rice were confiscated from smugglers between 2015 and August, 2017 with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N3.8 billion.
Its Comptroller-General, Col. Hammed Ali (rtd), said that 90,073 bags of rice were seized in 2015 with DPV of N693 million, while 280,109 bags of rice were impounded in 2016 with DPV of N2.156 billion.
Also, he said that in the first eight months of 2017, some 127,097 bags of rice were seized with DPV of N978 million.
Ali added that four enterprises registered with Tinapa Free Trade Zone (FTZ) Calabar in Cross River State syndicated the importation of 533 containers of rice last year.
Worried by the spate of rice smuggling, the NCS Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command, Abdullahi Maiwada, told this newspaper that the command had been proactive in fighting rice smuggling.
Maiwada attributed the rise in smuggling activities to the porous nature of the nation’s borders.
According to him, smugglers were creating unemployment in their own country and creating jobs in foreign countries as a result of their activities.
The spokesman added that the service had interfaced with traditional rulers to dissuade people in their domains from smuggling, saying many were reluctant to quit the illegal business.
He said: “Our approach is carrot and stick. We sensitise and educate. We have a school in Idiroko, which is meant for host communities so that their wards should go back to school; schooling is the best and you cannot compare it with smuggling.
He said: “Our borders are indeed porous. We have the creeks; we have so many outlets that lead to Benin Republic within Ogun. We use our little resources in order to man the borders. Although there may be some shortcomings, we are doing our best.”



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