By Kumo Ambare
Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Niger Delta Basin Development Authority has reiterated his commitment to take advantage of the favourable swamp terrain of the Niger Delta to boost rice farming by resuscitating moribund rice farms in the region.
He said the Niger Delta swamps are blessed with the right vegetation and climate for the cultivation of rice and if well managed will turn the region to become the leading hub of rice production in the country.
He assured Nigerians and the Niger Delta people of his commitment to make the region the leading destination for the production of the staple food in order to address the problem of food insecurity in the country.
Prince Amgbare while featuring in the Business Space Programme of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, in the garden city of Port Harcourt, disclosed that the Peremabiri, Isampou and other rice farms in the region would be resuscitated by the Authority to ensure self-sufficiency in rice production, as well as export to other parts of Nigeria and beyond.
While disclosing modalities already put in motion for the actualization of this lofty vision, he said the Authority is in talks with key investors for partnerships that will see to the maximization of the region’s rice production potentials.
According to him; “talks are in top gear with some key investors in this regard, as I have before me proposals targeted at bringing to life the moribund rice farms in the Niger Delta.
“We are looking at the various proposals before us, and we shall settle for only those with the best interest of the region at heart, especially as it relates to ensuring that the region does not only become self-sufficient in rice production, but one that makes it a leading region in rice production in the country.
“We are taking this route to ensure we do not necessarily depend on the rice produced in Kebbi or Abakaliki. We have the comparative advantage to dominate in rice production, and we shall take full advantage of it through strategic partnerships”, he said.
It would be recalled that in a separate engagement with the media recently, the Managing Director and Chief Exectuive Officer had expressed the Authority’s determination to look into the challenges facing the Peremabiri rice farm with a view to revamping it.
He enthused that the Peremabiri rice farm, with the capacity to feed sub-Saharan Africa when revamped, will not only bring about self-sufficiency in rice production, but will also create job opportunities for the teeming youths of the region.
