by Lekan Olanrewaju

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Man shall not live by bread alone. The president takes that bible verse seriously, we now know thanks, to the minister of information. The president also eats locally grown rice.

Speaking in Abuja on Thursday at a Ministerial Platform, Minister Labaran Maku revealed that in addition to cassava bread, President Jonathan is also a fan of Ofada rice from Abakaliki.

“The President is emphasising made in Nigeria products,” Maku said. “If you go to the President’s house today, he eats rice produced in Ebonyi State – Abakaliki – Ofada rice; the imported rice is not eaten in the Presidential Villa.”

“Also there, he eats cassava bread that has just been introduced, which is saving Nigeria almost N300 billion in imports.”

“From what is going on, if we emphasise and urge Nigerians to patronise the things that are researched and produced here, the country will develop.”

The president had also earlier this week launched a council to oversee the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, which is projected to create 3.5 million new jobs from rice, cassava, sorghum, cocoa, and cotton value chains as well as inject over N60 billion  into the economy from the substitution of 20% of bread wheat flour with cassava flour.