By Abdallah el-Kurebe
The National President of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Alhaji Aminu Muhammad Goronyo has called on graduate students in Africa to embrace rice farming as means of ensuring food security in the continent.
Goronyo made the call when a group of graduate students across Africa under the auspices of The League of African Development Students (LEADS Africa), presented the award of Africa’s Patriotic Personality to him at the Nigeria’s Rice House in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said that what the Federal government was doing on rice in the country called for joined hands by all Nigerians, especially the youths to ensure that rice import was put to stop.
“RIFAN is not only a part of FG’s efforts to ensure this but also driving other advocacy groups in the drive for self-sufficiency on rice. As a giant of African, Nigeria’s RIFAN is at the driving seat on the side of farmers. We are also on the platform of African Rice Advocacy.
“Nigeria has competitive advantage to convert our vast land into money and so is Africa. As young ones and irrespective of your area of study, taking into agriculture is important for our continent. For sustainable agriculture to be, you as young ones must complement the efforts of the old farmers and take over from them when they become older.
“You should take this advocacy to your various institutions in the various countries of Africa. When Nigeria succeeds, Africa will succeed and when Africa succeeds, the world will take heed,” Goronyo stressed.
He also disclosed that N1 billion worth of rice was consumed in Nigeria each day and 7.5 metric tones every month.
The president gave automatic membership of RIFAN to LEADS Africa as an organisation as well as the members present at the Award ceremony.
Earlier in his speech, the President of LEADS, Mr. Gabriel Morgan who is from the University of Professional Studies, Accra Ghana stated that the League saw a role model in the person of Aminu Goronyo.
“We seek to find for ourselves role models, outstanding institutions and mentors in life as we found in the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) and her President, Alhaji Aminu Goronyo who is an erudite and proven authority in Africa’s Rice Farming space, consummate corporate leader with the Midas touch of excellence,” the speech read in parts.
LEADS noted that Goronyo, through Rice Farming Advocacy was pioneering the cause of Africa’s development. “Such strides come in handy in our desperate quest for Africa to catch up with the rest of the world in attaining the status that is imperative for development agenda.”
It also noted that RIFAN president had chosen the path that mitigates the effect of the imbalance in our society by dedicating himself to Nigeria and by extension, Africa’s quest for accelerated development.
The League called on African leaders to use the wealth of experience of Goronyo for organized rice production strategies.
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