NDDC to revive Rivers rice mill to boost food security

Niger Delta Development Commission said it would revive its rice mill at Elele Alimini, in the Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.

NDDC said the revival of the 180 tonnes/day rice mill in Emohua was part of its efforts to ensure food security in the region.

The NDDC Executive Director, Projects, Victor Antai, who stated this during an inspection visit to the rice mill, described the suspension of production at the factory as disheartening.

In a statement by the NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Pius Ughakpoteni, on Thursday, Antai explained that the rice mill was established as part of NDDC's industrialisation strategies, even as he expressed optimism that when it returns to full production, the factory would create employment opportunities for the youth.

“I want to thank the NDDC for building the rice mill. It is a gigantic project, the biggest in the Niger Delta Region. We went into a partnership with the Elephant Group. Unfortunately, they stopped production in 2022.

“We decided to visit the facility to know why they stopped production and to also look for the possible ways of bringing it back to production again.

“The NDDC has to meet its mandate of food security in consonance with the drive of the Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, who is determined to create employment for the teeming youths of the region,” Antai had said.

He said it was comforting that most of the equipment at the facility were still intact and functional, adding that the the NDDAC would interface with the management of Elephant Group.

“In no time, the MD and management will decide on how best to handle this facility and get it up and running,” he had assured.

Antai emphasised the need to connect the rice mill to a dedicated power line from a power injection station to guarantee steady power supply to the facility and reduce the cost of production.

He was said to be responding to an appeal by a technical staff of the Elephant Group, Uchechi Emejuru, who lamented that the mill was running on a 500 KVA transformer, rather than 800 KVA capacity suitable for its operations.