LASG signs MoU with Chinese firm to boost Rice value chain, agricultural productivity
The Lagos State Government has entered into a significant partnership with Chinese food processing company, Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings Co. Limited, to strengthen the rice value chain and improve food security in the state.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday during Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s visit to China, where he is attending the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
Dr. Oluwarotimi Fashola, Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Agriculture (Rice Mill Initiative), represented the Lagos State Government in the signing, while Mr. Wang Wei, Group Director of the Rice Industry Division at Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings, signed on behalf of the Chinese firm. The ceremony was also attended by Mr. Prashant Trikha, Group Head of Rice at Wilmar Group.
Governor Sanwo-Olu emphasized the importance of the partnership, stating that it aligns with his administration’s drive to achieve food security through strategic investments in agriculture. “We have the capacity to feed ourselves if the right investments are made. Our rice initiative, including the Imota Rice Mill, is expected to create 1,500 direct jobs and over 250,000 indirect jobs,” he said, highlighting the mill’s potential to produce 2.8 million 50kg bags of rice annually.
The Imota Rice Mill, established by the Lagos State Government, has a 32-metric-ton-per-hour capacity and is seen as a key solution to meeting the high demand for rice in Lagos State. The partnership with Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings Co. Limited, one of China’s largest food processors, is expected to further boost the state’s agricultural productivity and improve rice production, from cultivation to processing and distribution.
This collaboration represents another step in the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration’s commitment to revolutionizing agriculture in Lagos State and ensuring food security for its citizens.
