Dangote Rice, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, is set to launch its multi-million naira 25,000 hectares of rice out-grower scheme in Sokoto State.

The President of the Group, Aliko Dangote, disclosed that the company will, tomorrow, flag off a pilot project of 500 hectares by Gonroyo Dam, the second largest in the country after Kainji, in Goronyo community.

Alhaji Aliko Dangote

During the ceremony, which will be performed by Governor Aminu Tambuwal, seedlings will be distributed to the primary local farmers, who will plant the seed after which Dangote Rice Company will purchase from them for milling and final processing.

Sokoto State is the second out of the 14, after Jigawa, where Dangote Rice plans to operate the out-grower scheme to empower local farmers and create job opportunities for community dwellers and reduce migration to the cities.

Dangote Rice projects in the 14 states, when operational, will generate a significant number of jobs and increase take-home for smallholder farmers, while diversifying Nigeria’s economy and reducing the nation’s food import bill.

Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development estimates that rice demand in the country reached 6.3 million MT in 2015, with only 2.3 million MT of that demand satisfied by local production.