By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No fewer than 250,000 direct and indirect jobs are expected to be created from the 32 metric-tonnes-per-hour capacity Imota Rice Mill located in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State when completed.
Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, who inspected the project on Thursday further said increased economic activity is also expected at Imota, Ikorodu and Lagos State in general.
The aide to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu expressed satisfaction with the progress of work being done at the site. She said when completed, the mill would be the world’s fourth largest and the biggest in Africa.
She pointed out that agriculture and food security were important components of the T.H.E.M.E.S development agenda of the state government for making Lagos a 21st-century economy. Hence, the commitment to complete the mill in order to meet the rice demand of the state and, indeed, the nation.
Restating that the mill is situated on a landmass of 8.5 hectares of land, Ms Olusanya maintained that each of the two production lines has a capacity of 16metric tonnes and will produce 650 bags of 50kg rice per hour.
The Special Adviser disclosed that the mill was designed, constructed and its equipment installed by local contractors, which underscores the state government’s confidence in the capacity of indigenous engineers.
Aduragbemi Omiyale