President Buhari set to launch Borno’s rice pyramid

As Borno State joins about five other states that have made giant strides in the Buhari administration’s efforts to make Nigeria self-sufficient in rice production, President Muhammadu Buhari is set to launch the rice pyramid in the State on March 27, 2018.

This followed the decision of the State in joining Kebbi, Ebonyi, Ogun and Jigawa States in keying into the Central Bank of Nigeria funded Anchor Borrowers Scheme.


This is coming courtesy of Wal-Wanne and Sons, founded by Dr. Abiso Kabir, which has made Borno State a major rice producer.

It is described by analysts as rice pyramids because of its massive nature and being the first of its kind to emerge not only from the North-East and also from the northern part of the Nigeria and the entire country.

Because of this huge achievement, President Buhari is expected to personally visit Borno State on March 27 to unveil the Wal-Wanne rice pyramid at Ramat Muhammad Square, Maiduguri.

Confirming this development, the Senior Special Adviser, Media, to the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Alhaji Garba Dangida, said the feat showed the commitment of the Buhari administration to the President’s campaign promise to reduce poverty in the country and boost agriculture.

The feat, according to Dangida, testifies to the effort by the government to stimulate increased earnings from agriculture and diversify the economy from reliance on oil accruals.

Kabir, a strong supporter of Buhari, is the North-East Coordinator of BCO and has donated a campaign office to the organisation.

“He (Kabir) has kept faith with our change agenda and keyed into the Anchor Borrowers Programme on Rice Production of the Buhari administration,” Dangida stressed.

The BCO leader disclosed that three pyramids, each consisting of 11,000 bags of rice paddies, were harvested in Maiduguri.

Dangida said the unveiling underscores the need to showcase agriculture to unemployed youths as an enterprise and the imperative of returning to the farm to guarantee wealth creation and food security.

Dangida stated that the rice production is the evidence that peace is gradually returning to the North-East and that economic and social activities were picking up against the wishful thinking of naysayers.

He said reports of pockets of attacks by insurgents were mischief by Boko Haram and questionable Nigerians in their plan to discredit the Buhari government in defeating insurgency and grow the economy.

Dangida added: “It will also dispel the untruths and re-affirm the truism that indeed peace has returned to Borno State and that insurgents are no longer in a position to disrupt or dictate the economic and social activities in the state.”

Eminent Nigerians expected at the unveiling include state governors, political and traditional leaders.