Nigeria to stop importation of rice by 2018

Nigeria would stop the importation of rice, wheat, sugar, cotton, tomato paste and processed meat by 2018, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Aisha Abubakar said Wednesday.

Abubakar disclosed this at an interactive session with entrepreneurs and prospective investors participating in northwest Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit.

She said Nigeria would stop the importation of cotton and other commodities to ensure self sufficiency for textiles and garment manufacturers in the country.

The minister stressed that the present administration was committed to the production of those commodities in Nigeria.

Abubakar said the country had no business importing the six commodities as they were abundant in Nigeria.

Earlier, Aminu Masari, Governor of Katsina, called on prospective investors to come up with workable plans that could simplify the state's investment process and eliminate its bottlenecks.

Masari assured welders and fabricators of his administration's readiness to provide land for the establishment of business clusters for them.

He added that his government would continue to patronize made-in-Katsina goods, services and local contractors.

The governor said a large portion of land in Katsina had been allocated to the Federal Ministry of Communication for the establishment of a National Incubation Center.

He disclosed further that eight vocational training centers were being rehabilitated to empower youths to become self-reliant. Endit