The CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, gave the details at a meeting with some state Governors in Abuja on Thursday.

Emefiele said that the bank was working with other stakeholders to wage war against smuggling of rice into the country.

He explained that CBN had financed the construction of rice mills to support food self-sufficiency and security.

He said that Dangote Farms was also constructing five mills; two in Jigawa and one each in Kebbi, Zamfara and Sokoto states.

The CBN governor said that other rice mills funded by the bank included the WACOT and Labana Rice Mills in Kebbi State and Umza Rice Mill in Kano.

According to him, the CBN’s focus will remain on sectors that can create jobs on a mass scale.

He also said that the Bank would also pay closer attention at financing sectors that could help Nigeria to “reduce its burgeoning import bill and conserve much needed foreign exchange”.

“The bank will maintain a keen interest in supporting the creation of an enabling environment to trigger private sector investment.

“Our emphasis will focus on value chain financing in 10 priority commodities. These products have been responsible for a significant share of our country’s food import bill in the last couple of years,” he said.

Emefiele, who commended the Federal Government on border closure to address the issue of smuggling in the country, said that such steps had yielded positive result.

He said some farmers and millers in some parts of the country had complained of lack of patronage before the closure.

“But as soon as the borders were closed, they exhausted all they had in warehouses and did not have any in stock to supply their customers,” Emefiele said.

The Chairman of Governors Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, thanked Emefiele for the stride recorded in agricultural sector, pointing out that it is now clear that the country is making a headway in ensuring food security.

Fayemi said that agriculture was the fastest way to create jobs for the citizenry.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Governors of Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Lagos, Ogun, Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara States attended the meeting.

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Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele ringing the opening bell last Friday, 27th October, at the London Stock Exchange

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A statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said the president was greatly shaken and shocked by such large-scale loss of human lives in a single industrial accident.

According to the statement, Buhari cast a gloom on the families of the victims “who were looking forward to a joyous Christmas celebration’’.

The president extended his condolences to the families of the victims, the people and the government of Anambra over what he described as “this unfortunate tragedy on Christmas eve’’.

“My heart and prayers go out to these grieving families at this difficult and painful moment,’’ the statement quoted the president as saying.

The statement revealed that President Buhari also commisserated with the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Barkindo Musdafa, over the death of his mother, Hajiya Adda Gombeji, who passed away at the age of 87.

“He has placed a call to condole with the Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, who has equally lost his own mother.

“The President personally made the phone calls to the Lamido of Adamawa and Emefiele to express his sympathy to the Monarch and the CBN Governor over the death of their mothers,’’ the statement added.

Buhari described a mother as “an invaluable component of family life, and the pillar and comforter of the children’’.

He prayed to Allah to bless the souls of the deceased, and grant the Lamido, Godwin Emefiele and other members of their families the fortitude to overcome the losses.

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