Economist canvasses price-war against imported rice
By Chris Ndibe
An Economist, Prof. AbdulGafar ljaya, has suggested the introduction of price-war by Nigerians to arrest what he described as exorbitant price of rice being experienced in some parts of the country.
Ijaya who teaches Economics at the University of llorin gave this suggestion in llorin when he reacted to what he described as high cost of over N30,000 per bag of rice in llorin and some parts of the country noted that when “there is price-war against foreign rice, price of rice will be affordable.
“There must be price-war to crash price imported rice being smuggled into our country so that rice can get to the down trodden at affordable prices”, ljaya said.
According to the economist, the price-war against imported rice could be executed by shunning all varieties of imported rice in all Nigeria markets.
Government he added should closely monitor the activities of rice producing industries so that the products were not re-bagged into foreign bags.
“Nigerians must patronise our product and embark on price ear against imported rice to crash price the imported rice to further improve our economy’’, he said.
He noted that the Federal Government had spent so much to improve local production of rice which he said was being ridiculed by some unpatriotic Nigerians.
The economic expert said the high cost of rice in some parts of the country was not caused by any government but as a result of lack of honesty, greed and inordinate ambition of some Nigerians.
“Some traders will travel to the Northern part of the country to acquire several bags of rice at a cheaper rate and re-bag it with foreign bags to be sold at triple to buyers”, he said.
Ijaya called for attitudinal change, discipline, patriotism and honesty among Nigerians to allow the price-war against price crash in imported rice achieve the intended purpose.
He advised Nigerians to always patronise made in Nigeria goods by way of further in proving the nation’s economic growth and development.