President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in Abuja said his administration would make Nigeria self-sufficient in rice production within 18 months.
The president, who was speaking at the Ramadan breaking of fast with members of the business community, said 13 states of the federation had been identified for the production of the crop. He said the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, had already been briefed on how best to achieve the target.
Mr. Buhari decried how the nation's scarce resources were wasted on the importation of food items by the previous regimes. He said the nation had no option than to concentrate more on agriculture and solid mineral activities.
The president also condemned "the ruthless devaluation of naira", saying he was yet to be convinced about the economic benefits of the exercise.
"How much benefits have derived from naira devaluation in the past?
"I don't like the returns I get from the CBN because that coupled with the demand that let us devalue the naira, in August 1985 when the naira was N1.3 to a dollar now you need N300 or N350 to a dollar.
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