Nigeria: Al-Andalus launches N1 billion rice milling factory

The chief executive officer of the firm said that the mill would procure about 150 metric tons of rice on a daily basis and it would also provide jobs by promoting employment opportunities in the area. With a capacity of 500 direct and indirect jobs, the rice mill would open opportunities for youth in the agricultural sector.

To attain the Nigerian government's effort of self-sufficiency in rice production Al-Andalus Rice launched a rice mill in the Kuje Area Council in Abuja, according to a new report by The Guardian. 

Henry Chibuzo Ekwungha, the chief executive officer of the firm said that the mill would procure about 150 metric tons of rice on a daily basis and it would also provide jobs by promoting employment opportunities in the area. With a capacity of 500 direct and indirect jobs, the rice mill would open opportunities for youth in the agricultural sector.

Speaking on the launch, Ekwungha said that the step was important to complement governments' effort of advancing economic activities as the mill would help to meet country's self-sufficiency in rice and demand for high-quality parboiled rice. 

However, noting the running cost of the mill Ekwugha said that a minimum of N1 billion to run the mill daily which would be a challenge since they aim to achieve 1,000 metric tons daily in near future. He added, “we decided to go into technology-based production because a lot of people complain about Nigerian rice due to some of the milling processes".

Speaking further on the challenges of paddy sourcing for the mill, he said that the firm will set offices in eight northern states to source paddy directly from fields. On his aim for rice production, he added “we plan to expand this mill across the country to create more employment because we have all it takes to process the best rice in Nigeria. Our target is the Nigerian and international market because we have the best rice".

Ekwundha also affirmed government's support and said that “the federal government is willing to support rice farmers and processors. This is why we have overtaken Egypt as the largest rice producer in Africa and all we need to do is to be sincere in what we are doing to sustain what is already on ground.”