This is a positive step by the ministry of Agric. and Water Resources but the ministry needed not to have waited to be pushed into it by food scarcity. This step should have been taken a lot earlier but better late than never and, God forbid, it is hoped that the next administration change will not see a reversal of this progress assuming it successfully materializes. However, since Nigeria is naturally blessed with ferile lands with a possibility of having harvest twice in the year, and since rice is not the only food product common in the country, it is hoped and expected that the Ministry of Agric. and Water Resources will extend this forward-looking approach to other food products such as cassava, yam, cocoa, ground nut, maize, millet, beans, various fruits, vegitables etc. Agriculture is a POTENTIAL source of wealth for the country but WE CAN ONLY REAP WHAT WE SOW.

I am so much fascinated about the decision of the Federal Government to form partnership with investors purposely to produce rice in Nigeria. That is very interesting! Like a previous commentator, I'll also want to ask, Why waiting till now. I know when I was young there used to be rice species like 'abere', 'ofada', etc. which are produced in large quantity in Nigeria but since the advent oil everything died a natural death. Instead of the previous governments encouraging the farmers and possibly helping to train them to be able to go into large production, they were more interested in issuing import lisence to the highest bidders. At a stage I was thinking that the import lisence beneficiaries who are rich enough would take the initiative, but no! It is the global food shortage threat that has opened our eyes. Thank God we are blessed with all natural resouces including money for every Nigerian to have food in abundance, live in good houses, and have good roads for the rural producers of other food items to transport them to consumers.