The Kebbi State Government, in collaboration with WACOT Rice, a subsidiary of Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group, has launched bio-fortified rice to produce the quality and nutritious rice needed to combat micronutrient deficiency in the country.
The launch was held at the Abuja Intercontinental Hotel, where WACOT Rice, producers of Big Bull Rice and Patriot, among others, worked with the Kebbi State Government to demonstrate the feasibility of rice fortification in the country, following the successful fortified rice pilot under the Promoting Rice Fortification in Nigeria (PRiFN) project.
PRiFN is a partnership project that was done in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Health and other key ministries, departments, and agencies.
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The Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, Umar Abubakar, at the event emphasized the importance of stakeholder partnership to enhance the value of rice production through micronutrient fortification, boost local production and economic development, and promote the consumption of nutritional food.
The Managing Director of WACOT Rice, Neeraj Kumar, on his own affirmed the company’s commitment to producing quality and nutritious rice to meet Nigeria’s needs, adding that the company, which has made tremendous contributions to Kebbi State under its corporate social responsibility projects, would continue to boost Nigeria’s food security.
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“The successful pilot of the rice fortification project is a significant stride towards a healthier, stronger Nigeria. We are immensely proud to have played a central role in this initiative to bring fortified rice to Nigerians.” He stated
Also speaking was the Country Director, World Food Program (WFP), David Stevenson, who noted that Nigeria loses an estimated $1.5b of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) yearly to micronutrient deficiencies, adding that with the successful launch, fortified rice will become a potent tool in Nigeria’s fight against malnutrition.
