President of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, has called for a greater focus on food security and agricultural self-sufficiency across Africa, pointing out the continent’s untapped potential in agriculture.
Speaking during a visit from the AfricaRice Centre at his Lagos office, Dangote stressed that agriculture is essential for sustainable development in Africa.
He highlighted the continent’s vast arable land and suggested that with the right policies, sufficient investment, and the use of modern farming technologies, African farmers could significantly improve their productivity and profitability.
“Africa has the land and resources to thrive in agriculture,” Dangote said, “and by investing in this sector, we can tackle many of the socio-economic issues facing the continent.”
Dangote also pointed out that agriculture plays a crucial role in job creation and income generation across Africa.
He emphasized that with the proper frameworks in place, the continent can achieve food security and reduce its dependency on food imports, which would have a far-reaching positive impact on the economy.
Dangote Rice Limited, a subsidiary of Dangote Industries, recently entered into a major agreement with the Niger State Government.
The N1.8 trillion deal with Niger Foods Security Systems and Logistics Company will ensure a steady supply of high-quality rice paddy for Dangote’s rice mills, supporting Nigeria’s food security efforts.
In his remarks, Dangote outlined the substantial investments his company has made in rice milling and farming operations across Nigeria. Through its out-grower scheme, Dangote Rice is not only aiming to increase local rice production but also create jobs to promote food self-sufficiency nationwide.
Dr. Baboucarr Manneh, Director-General of AfricaRice, commended Dangote’s ongoing efforts to invest in agriculture.
He described these investments as essential to enhancing food security across Africa. He also praised the partnership between Dangote Rice and the Niger State Government, recognizing its potential to reshape the region’s food systems.
Dr. Manneh said: “Niger State has set an ambitious goal to produce five million tonnes of rice in the next five years.
“Considering that Africa imports around 15 million tonnes of rice each year, achieving this target would mark a significant step toward rice self-sufficiency and food security on the continent.”
Dr. Manneh further stressed the need for effective public-private partnerships to strengthen Africa’s agricultural sector.
According to him, it is important to combine the efforts of government leadership with private sector innovation and investment, such collaborations in order to increase agricultural productivity while reducing the continent’s reliance on food imports.
In addition, Sammy Adigun, Executive Chairman of Niger Foods, reiterated the state’s commitment to improving rice production.
He noted that AfricaRice would assist Niger State in increasing its annual rice paddy production from the current 1.5 million tonnes to 10 million tonnes through the use of climate-smart technologies and mechanization, alongside support for both large-scale and smallholder farms.
