According to an official document by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kwara is one of the leading subnationals that contributed massively to the return of the rice pyramid in Nigeria.

The state was said to have produced 62,332 metric tons of rice paddy during the dry season and 40,000 metric tons during the wet season, making a total of 102,332 metric tons.

Describing this as huge, the Council, in a statement issued by its Secretariat, commended State Coordinator of RIFAN, Dr. Ahmed Saba and his team for rewriting the narrative, especially as the state was hitherto not considered a rice-producing state.

“Kwara State Ease of Doing Business Council commends the daring and impressive efforts of Kwara RIFAN under the leadership of Dr. Ahmed Saba. This is clearly a watershed in the history of the state. Until the coming of Governor AbdulRazaq, Kwara State was not considered a rice producing state. This development, therefore, confirms the huge investments the current administration has put into agriculture and other sectors of the economy. We especially note the acknowledgement of Dr. Saba that the state government provided the enabling environment for the Association. The state government will continue to provide an enabling environment for all businesses to thrive. We urge RIFAN not to relent as the Council will ensure that they get the necessary support from the government and continue to partner with them.”