Date: 2018-05-19

President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has called on the Kwara Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KWACCIMA), to take advantage of the state's competitive edge in rice production by setting up processing mills.

Doctor Saraki, who stated this when the leadership of the KWACCIMA visited him in Abuja, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, however commended the Chamber for improving the economy of Kwara State through their individual and collective effort.

He noted that there is need for close collaboration between the private sector and government to grow the economy by capitalizing on the policies of government aimed at diversifying the economy through agricultural production, especially rice farming and processing.

According to him , this is an area that government has done a lot through the Central Bank by providing funding for both the farmers and industrialists that want to set up rice processing mills and industries.

The Senate President disclosed that the state is well positioned for rice production particularly in Kwara North and called on the Chamber to see how they can facilitate the setting up of rice processing mills.

Doctor Saraki promised that his office will be ready to work with the chamber to see that Kwara State gets its own fair share in the support that the Federal Government and the Central Bank are doing in providing funding in this area," he said.

He stated that a major focus of the 8th National Assembly has been in how to reduce the bottlenecks in the economy by improving laws to bring about the ease of doing business adding that the passage of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) Bill by the Senate during the week will help a lot of Nigerian companies going forward.

The Senate President pledged that his office will continue to collaborate with the Chamber in the drive o attract more investors into the state in the areas it has comparative competitive advantage.

Earlier, the President and Chairman of Council of KWACCIMA, Dr. Ahmed Adeoye, said the visit was meant to seek the collaboration of the President of the Senate on ways to further improve the business and living standard of the people of Kwara state.

"This effort, to the gladness of the leadership of KWACCIMA, was well noticed during your tenure as governor. Now as you occupy the seat of the Senate President, more can still be done in the area of attracting worthwhile investments to the state," Adeoye stated.