The Melinda and Bill Gates’ Foundation, OCP Africa, Kufor Foundation and Grow Africa have partnered to make available a grant of $30bn to increase rice production in Africa.
The president of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Aminu Goronyo, said they had already submitted a template that would enable her members to qualify for the loan.
Alhaji Goronyo explained further that Nigerian rice farmers only have access to $600 million out of the $60 billion and it would cover areas of rice production, processing, packaging and marketing.
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He is optimistic that the extension of the grant to Nigeria would help boost the country’s self- sufficiency in rice production.
There is fear around the world that hunger will take over the world particularly Africa. That is why some agencies have decided to put their monies together to make sure that enough food is grown in Africa.
He further stated: “This is why they want to bring the grant to Nigeria and other African countries so that we will be part of the beneficiaries toward achieving self-sufficiency, particularly in rice. Although rice is mainly the key crop covered by the grant, other crops are still included in the grant”.
It would be recalled that Goronyo, said the pledge was made on the 7th of September, 2016 at the official opening of the sixth African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) tagged “New Push for Africa’s Agricultural Transformation,” held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, on September 2016.
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