The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has called for a coordinated, data-driven approach to close Nigeria’s rice production deficit and strengthen national food security.
NGF Director-General Abdulateef Shittu made the call in Abuja on Wednesday at the unveiling of the North-West Region Regional Rice Sector Diagnostic Report.
The report was produced by the State Agribusiness Investment Programme through the NGF Rice Helpdesk, with support from the Gates Foundation.
Shittu said available data indicated that Nigeria consumed about 8.6 million metric tonnes of rice annually, a figure projected to reach 9.1 million by 2027, while domestic production stood at 3.3 million metric tonnes.
He attributed the deficit to inconsistent policies, poor budgeting and a lack of accurate data, adding that data was central to developing any sector.
“Data is central to everything. A friend of mine said data is the next oil. It is the oxygen that drives and propels development,” Shittu said.
He urged Nigeria to learn from international models, such as China’s drive for agricultural self-sufficiency, saying the country had the potential to supply global markets.
“There is no reason why Nigeria cannot be a net exporter of rice to African countries and even parts of Europe. We have the land and the resources; we just need to coordinate our efforts,” he added.
Shittu said the NGF Helpdesk had established a dedicated data department and was encouraging states to set up their own bureaux of statistics. He also cited partnerships with institutions such as the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.
The Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Ayodeji Sotinrin, said the bank aimed to finance 700,000 farmers during the 2026 wet season, up from 500,000 in 2025, while moving away from direct cash distribution.
“We have stopped giving direct cash microcredits to farmers to eliminate non-performing loans and prevent defaults,” Sotinrin said.
On mechanisation, Sotinrin said BOA had invested nearly one billion dollars in tractorisation to address the national equipment deficit.
“We are expecting 4,000 high-capacity tractors that will allow us to mechanise at least 2.4 million hectares of farmland.
“These will not be handed out to politically connected individuals but deployed through service providers,” he said.
The Director-General of the Rice Processors Association of Nigeria, Dr Andy Ekwelem, cited poor farmer identification, fake inputs, high energy costs and rural insecurity as major challenges facing commercial millers in the North-West.
Ekwelem urged federal and state authorities to use verified farmer registers, supply certified seeds and fertilisers, conduct soil testing, and secure major farming corridors, particularly in Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto states.
He also called for government support to reduce operating costs, warning that domestic processors could not compete effectively with foreign imports backed by decades of state subsidies.
The representative of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, Phillip Obosi, cautioned that regulatory inconsistency could deter private investment.
Obosi said projected rice imports of 2.9 million metric tonnes, valued at 1.4 billion dollars, in 2026 would drain foreign reserves that domestic production could help conserve.
He urged governments to translate the report’s recommendations into budget allocations and practical programmes for input dealers, smallholders and mechanisation providers.
