Obasanjo commends A'Ibom, Mobil over $5.5m rice farm
Dotun Oladipo
President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday night commended the Akwa Ibom State Government and Mobil Producing Nigeria/Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Joint Venture for the establishment of a $5.5 million rice farm in Ikot Ebidang, Akwa Ibom State.
Obasanjo, who gave the commendation at a gala/dinner in his honour by the Akwa Ibom State Government to commemorate his three-day visit to the state, said that the project was a major step towards making Nigeria self sufficient in rice production by 2006.
He said that he was impressed by what he saw earlier in the day at the 4,000 acre farm, out of which 525 acres had been cultivated, adding that if the foreign partner of the project, Midland Rice Corporation of America, keeps its promise of cultivating the 4,000 acres of land, it would go a long way to make Nigeria self sufficient in at least rice for local consumption.
Obasanjo, who spent over 30 minutes at the rice farm, the longest he ever spent at any project site during the three-day visit, said that with the assurance he got from the General Manager of Midland Rice, Mr. Jerry Burgard, he was confident that the country's rice needs would be met by 2006 as proposed by his government.
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Obong Victor Attah, described the rice project as being very dear to the heart of the state government, adding that he was certain the project would succeed.
Attah said that the state would maximally explore the swampy nature of its land for the cultivation of rice and commercial catfish production.
He also said that the state government was vigorously pursuing the presidential policy on cassava production in collaboration with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture and the United States Agency for International Development.
Attah said, "The Niger Delta Development Commission has also indicated interest to participate in this programme.
"I can, therefore, say with confidence that we are poised to build a competitive cassava farm."
