The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under its Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) has launched Rice Pyramid Programme in Ekiti State.

The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, who spoke while unveiling the first rice pyramid in the Southwest in Ado Ekiti yesterday, said the Anchor Borrowers Programme has expanded agriculture production for 21 crops across the states.

This came as the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, his counterparts from Ondo Rotimi Akeredolu, Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa) and Gboyega Oyetola (Osun State) described the Rice Pyramid Programme as a vision that would reduce importation and make Nigeria  independent in food production.

Emefiele said over three million farmers were being financed in production of varieties of products that can improve the economy, provide jobs and increase Nigeria’s imports for foreign exchange earnings.

The CBN governor said he understood that there was prohibition of land clearing in the Southwest, saying some governors have accessed N1.5 billion each to undertake such policy in their states.

“Agriculture is profitable today in Nigeria and we will strive to make it profitable for all. We will try to make farm mechanisation readily available to our farmers. We are not only doing rice, we are supporting cocoa, palm tree. Provision of rural access roads is also part of our target. The people of the Southwest must make use of the coming wet season for bountiful harvest”.