We Don’t Really Want To See Any More Imported Rice In Nigeria – Dangote

LAGOS: The Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has said that, “We don’t really want to see any more imported rice in Nigeria”.
Nigerian business tycoon stated this at the 2nd Annual Nigeria Food Processing and Leadership Forum held in Lagos on Tuesday December 17, 2019.

While addressing the need to ensure the proper fortification of food consumed by the Nigerians, Dangote said Nigerians should be rest assured that most of the rice that they will consume forthwith will be fortified.

His words, “We don’t really want to see any more imported rice in Nigeria. But if we do, that rice will not be released by NAFDAC unless it is fortified. The major ones that we have not been able to capture are the small ones that are smuggled through the borders, which we hope will stop.

“Rest assured that going forward, most of the rice that you would eat will be fortified.”

The President of Dangote Group who disclosed that food producers are working with regulators to ensure that the compliance level of food fortification hit 90% by 2020, maintained that creating a common set of compliance standards, will help producers deliver food that will make Nigerians live healthily and productively.

In another development, a data presented by TechnoServe, an international non-governmental organisation, has it that Nigerian companies have significantly improved their compliance with food fortification standards.

According to the data, among six of the leading producers of staple foods in Nigeria, the proportion of adequately fortified wheat flour increased from 58% to 74%; fortified edible oil increased from 63% to 75%; fortified sugar increased from 32% to 84%; and salt iodization levels are maintained at nearly 100%.