The Lagos State Government has said its multi-billion naira 32 metric ton per hour rice mill at Imota, Ikorodu, will be delivered before the end of the year.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Gbolahan Lawal, said the mill was 80 per cent completed, adding that the project would soon be inaugurated.
The commissioner spoke during the 2020 Ministerial Press Briefing to commemorate the one year anniversary of the state government.
According to a statement on Sunday, the mill will ensure a steady supply of freshly processed rice of about 2.4 million bags of 50 kilogrammes per annum to Lagosians, in addition to over 250,000 jobs that will be created in both the upstream and downstream sectors of the rice value chain.
“To meet the paddy requirement of the mill, we have undertaken a backward integration in form of collaboration with other states like south-western states, Kwara, Sokoto, Benue, Borno and Kebbi. This will be done leveraging on the Anchor Borrower Scheme of the Central Bank with the rice mill as the off taker of the products,” Lawal said.
The commissioner explained that the Agricultural Youth Empowerment Scheme had been revamped within the last one year, saying a total of 15,000 women and youths would be trained and empowered in the various agricultural value chains, especially poultry, aquaculture, rice, piggery and vegetable production by the year 2023.