The menace of rice smuggling into Nigeria, if not checked will destroy the gains recorded so far, Chairman of Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN), Mr. Mohammed Abubakar has warned.
He said the gains so far recorded in the rice production revolution in the country, particularly the intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through the Anchor Borrower Programme (ABP), could be jeopardised by the activities of smugglers if not confronted head-on by government.
He also raised the alarm that over one million metric tonnes of rice (about 20 million bags) had been smuggled into the country within the last three months.
As a result, he said Nigeria currently loses huge revenues, foreign exchange and jobs to this menace as rice processing companies continue to shut down operations because of their inability to gain market access.
The RIPAN chairman said, “More painfully millions of small-holder farmers are stuck with their paddy (rice) because the millers can no longer afford to buy from them.”
Speaking during a media briefing Saturday, Abubakar said the recent CBN interventions had impacted greatly on integrated processing capacity, which increased from 800,000 metric tonnes in 2014 to 1.6 million metric tonnes in 2018, in addition to about 3.9 million metric tonnes of finished rice milled by thousands of cottage millers scattered across the country.
He expressed worry that all these achievements may go down the drain, if the activities of smugglers go unchecked.
Among other things, the association recommended the immediate raid of the various rice smugglers market across the country.
He further called on the federal government to begin to sanction officers and employees of agencies of government, including Customs, NAFDAC and SON, which are saddled with the responsibility of enforcement.
According to him, these agencies compromise their offices or fail in their various responsibilities.
He said: “Government must note that some officers working in these government agencies are in collaboration with these smugglers. These officers must be fished out and punished by the EFCC, for economic sabotage.”
Abubakar said government must as a matter of urgent national importance, take strong diplomatic action against its neighbouring countries who allow parboiled rice into their country for final destination to Nigeria, adding that the government may consider closing the borders in the meantime should diplomatic overtures fail.
