Federal Government Convenes Stakeholders to Strengthen Nigeria’s Rice Value Chain

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Federal Government Convenes Stakeholders to Strengthen Nigeria’s Rice Value Chain

Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja | 22 September 2026

The Federal Government on Tuesday convened Federal and State institutions and key industry stakeholders for a technical consultation on Nigeria’s rice value chain, in furtherance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening food security, domestic production, farmer livelihoods, private-sector investment and consumer affordability.

The consultation was coordinated by the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU), pursuant to direction from its Steering Committee at its 7th Meeting, chaired by the Vice President. The Honourable Minister of Finance was represented at the meeting by the Director, Technical Services, Bashir Abdukadir, who chaired the technical session, with Marion Moon assisting. Participants included the Federal Ministries responsible for Finance, Agriculture and Food Security, and Industry, Trade and Investment; major rice-producing States; relevant Federal institutions; farmers; processors; millers; and industry associations.

The engagement provided an opportunity for Government and industry to take a comprehensive view of the rice value chain and strengthen coordination around Nigeria’s food balance -domestic production, strategic reserves, imports and exports – while taking account of market conditions, investment and consumer needs.

Discussions covered domestic rice production, cultivated area and yields, farmer economics, paddy and milled-rice prices, processing and milling activity, public and private stocks, trade flows, financing and investment. Stakeholders highlighted the high cost of production as a major constraint to competitiveness, with rice production costs reported at about ₦2.2–₦2.3 million per hectare and fertiliser accounting for approximately 35 percent of production costs. The meeting also identified high energy and irrigation costs, limited access to appropriately priced long-term financing, post-harvest losses and inadequate distributed storage as key pressures across the value chain.

Stakeholders called for greater investment in irrigation, including solar-powered water systems, to support year-round production; stronger financing and refinancing options for viable mills and processors; improved storage and aggregation infrastructure; and measures to reduce production and logistics costs. Participants also stressed the importance of predictable trade and import decisions that reflect domestic production cycles, noting that persistent price differentials can create incentives for smuggling.

The engagement further underscored the need for an integrated food-market data framework covering production, stocks, imports, consumption and prices, as well as stronger food-safety, traceability, certification and testing systems. These measures are aimed at enabling timely policy decisions, protecting farmer and processor investment, improving consumer affordability and strengthening the competitiveness of Nigeria’s rice value chain.

Speaking on behalf of the rice industry, Mohammed Auwalu, Vice President, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), said:
“We welcome Government’s continued engagement with stakeholders across the rice value chain. Bringing farmers, processors, States and Government together around the full food balance is important for strengthening coordination across the sector and supporting continued production and investment.”

The consultation will inform a consolidated technical report on the current dynamics and status of the rice value chain, including the food balance, market conditions, production economics, financing and investment environment, and priority actions for strengthening the sector.

The exercise also forms part of a broader approach to periodically review key staple food value chains, recognizing that production, markets and consumer conditions evolve over time. These reviews will support timely coordination across the food-balance levers and help the Government sustain food availability and affordability, protect farmer livelihoods, strengthen investor confidence and build a more resilient and competitive food economy.

SIGNED:
Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU)
Executive Secretary
Ms Marion Moon

Federal Ministry of Finance
Senior Special Assistant on Communications & Press Secretary to the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy
Maryann Duke