NIGERIAN President, Muhammadu Buhari says the country does not need to import rice from other countries because it has been able to save millions of dollars.
Buhari made this known in a press statement obtained from the social media handle of the presidency in which he spoke on border closure and other national matters.
“We have saved millions of dollars. We have realised that we don’t have to import rice,” the president said in the statement.
He added that the partial border closure has helped Nigeria curb the importation of illegal goods, most especially drugs and small arms, which he said were threats to the country.
“We have curtailed the importation of drugs and proliferation of small arms which threaten our country,” he added.
However, the president noted that Nigeria would implement the reports on the border closure by the tripartite committee consisting of Nigeria, Benin and Niger as soon as the committee’s report is received.
“Nigeria will implement the decision of the tripartite committee, made up of Nigeria, Benin and Niger, on the partial closure of the land border, as soon as the report is received,” the president noted.
Speaking on the reported case of COVID -19 otherwise known as coronavirus in Nigeria, Buhari commended the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dangote Groups, Aliko Dangote for donating N200 million towards curbing the spread of coronavirus in the country.
He commended Dangote for his gesture, recalling that the group had in the past donated N1 billion towards the fight against Ebola Virus in Africa.
“Hand in hand, standing shoulder to shoulder, we can confront our challenges as a country. This is a path for us all to follow as a people,” he stated.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via labolade@icirnigeria.org, on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94