CITIZENS COMPASS— The Director, Lagos State Rice Mill, Imota, Mr Jacob Akinsanya, on Wednesday, identified inadequate supply of paddy as the major challenge affecting optimal production at the facility.
Akinsanya disclosed this when the Lagos branch of Nigeria Association of Technologists in Engineering(NATE) paid a courtesy visit to the rice mill on Wednesday in Imota, Lagos.
Akinsanya represented by Engr Hassan Oladipo, Deputy Director, Engineering production said inspite that the facility had functional equipment, adequate manpower and the capacity to produce large quantities of rice, but has shortage of raw materials.
“This facility has experienced workforce but shortage of raw materials had forced it to halt production around April or May 2026.
“The rice mill commenced operations in 2023 and had two production lines, with each line capable of producing about 300 tonnes of rice daily.
“If this facility worked optimally it can process raw materials if planted across the entire Southwest,” he said
According to him, the facility operates a continuous drying system, which requires a steady supply of paddy to function efficiently.
He said the mill would require about 5,000 tonnes of paddy to sustain production for two weeks, noting that such volume would involve about 200 trailers delivering raw materials to the facility.
Hassan said the problem was linked largely to declining rice production and insecurity in parts of the country, which had affected the availability of paddy.
He noted that restarting the plant after a prolonged shutdown was also challenging because the machinery required about three to four days to stabilise before full-scale production could commence.
The deputy director said the facility had the capacity to meet the rice needs of several states if sufficient paddy was made available.
He added that efforts were also being made to address power supply challenges through the establishment of a dedicated electricity line to ensure uninterrupted operations.
According to him, the machinery at the facility was in good working condition, stressing that the major obstacle remained access to adequate raw materials.
In his remark, Engr Kayode Ibidapo, National General Secretary of the Nigeria Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE), said the visit was aimed at assessing the rice production process and identifying areas where support could be provided.
Kayode said rice remained one of Nigeria’s major staple foods, making increased production essential to achieving food sufficiency in the country.
The Secretary commended the management of the mill for its capacity, equipment and manpower, but said inadequate paddy supply was preventing the facility from operating at full capacity.
He called for stronger collaboration among the Lagos State Government, relevant agencies and stakeholders in the agricultural sector to improve access to paddy.
Kayode also urged the government to invest more in rice cultivation and provide adequate land for rice farming, particularly in areas where production could be expanded.
“Increased investment in rice production will provide the raw materials required to keep the mill running and enable it to supply rice beyond Lagos to other states.
” This facility is the largest in Africa and it is capable to produce food for the entire Southwest if given the right attention,” he said
He urged the management to sustain its efforts, while calling on the government to do more to address the challenges confronting rice production and processing in the country.
He also called on the government to solve the issue of terrorism banditry and kidnapping who has constituted negatively to the the shortage of raw materials (rice paddy) earlier sited as a major challenge
He said the visit had provided NATE with a clearer understanding of the challenges facing the facility and would help the association identify areas where it could collaborate with government and other stakeholders to improve rice production.
