President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Friday commended the Chairman,
Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote
for investing one billion dollars ($
1billion) in rice production in the
country.
The President made the
commendation during the signing of
the $1 billion-dollar Rice Investment
Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU), between the Federal
Government and Dangote Group at
the State House, Abuja. The Minister
of Agriculture, Adewunmi Adesina
and Alhaji Dangote signed on behalf
of the Federal Government and
Dangote Group respectively.
President Jonathan said the Dangote
Group’s investment is the single
largest investment ever made in rice
production in Africa. He thanked
Alhaji Dangote for investing in
agriculture and assured him that his
investment will be worthwhile.
President Jonathan said he looked
forward to a time Nigeria will be
self-sufficient in rice production and
a net-exporter of the grain, adding
that the Federal Government will
protect Nigeria’s borders and check
smuggling.
“Government cannot allow its
borders to be porous. We are
working on non-human measures
and smugglers should have a rethink
now and change their ways by
investing their resources in other
meaningful areas,” he said.
In less than four years, Nigeria
hopes to become a net-exporter of
rice. The Dangote Group’s
investment in rice will cover five
states and contribute additional 1.4
million metric tonnes of Paddy rice.
Alhaji Dangote thanked the
President for the consistency of
government policies, noting that the
current $25 billion-dollar Dangote
Cement Company was the result of
the consistency of government
policies. He assured President
Jonathan, “We will continue to work
hard and will not disappoint you.”
http://dailypost.ng/2014/08/03/president-jonathan-commends-dangote-investing-1bn-rice-production/