Academia, Businessmen Back
Academia, Businessmen Back Border Closure
The Federal Government’s temporary initiative on border closure
has received the backing of both the Academia and the business
community in Kano state.
An expert in food and nutrition and Head of Department of Food
Science and Technology, Bayero University Kano (BUK), Dr Dahiru
Adamu said the border closure has greatly enhanced the rice value
chain in the country.
Dr Adamu spoke as a guest lecturer at the commissioning of the
Ultra-modern PRNigeria[1] Centre in Kano built by
Image Merchant Promotions Limited (IMPR) publishers of PRNigeria[2] and Economic
Confidential.
He said the ‘rebellion posture’ of the federal government on
border closure has quick wins which include food security, quality
and safety, nutrition, reduction in corruption and the development
of appropriate technologies.
Dr Adamu further emphasized that the rice value chain will also
enhance the use of critical manpower development, logistics control
and development, sustainable employment, sustainable income to
enable individual, corporate and national planning strategies.
The Head of Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University
Kano Dr. Haruna Ismail urged the government to use the media to
promote the policies on national security and interest. Saying that
the advantages of border closure would enhance local production of
Nigeria’s rice and value addition.
Speaking at the occasion, the Managing Director of Fursa Foods
Alhaji Abba Dantata who also an executive member of the Rice
Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN) threw his weight behind
the border closure, noting that the development has enhanced
increased production of the commodity.
Alhaji Dantata noted that the Nigerian Rice has more nutritional
value compared to the imported ones apart from the multiplier
effect of employment generation through various rice value
chain.
Earlier in his address at the occasion, the Chairman and founder
of PRNigeria[3], Mr. Yushau Shuaib said
the event was focused on four critical areas namely: Commissioning
the PRNigeria[4] Centre, a glimpse of his
new book on Crisis Communication and his voluntary retirement from
public service after 25 years at the age of fifty (50) years on
earth.
Shuaib said the centre is dedicated to the training and
mentoring of those inclined to investigative Journalism and Public
Relations practice, while also serving as a centre for conferences
and seminars in collaboration with critical stakeholders such as
NIPR and Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ).
At the occasion were members of the academia from the Bayero
University Kano, representatives of the Nigerian Army, Customs,
Civil Defense, Nigeria Correctional Service, businessmen and the
traditional rulers and Sarkin Kofar Dukawuya of Kano, Alhaji
Maitama Bello.