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Jonathan now eats Abakiliki rice and cassava bread- Minister of Information

President Goodluck Jonathan now eats locally produced rice and bread made from cassava as part of efforts to encourage indigenous production and stop capital flight, … Continue reading Jonathan now eats Abakiliki rice and cassava bread- Minister of Information


President Goodluck Jonathan now eats locally produced rice and bread made from cassava as part of efforts to encourage indigenous production and stop capital flight, says Minister of Information, Labaran Maku.

“The President is emphasising made in Nigeria products; if you go to the President’s house today, he eats rice produced in Ebonyi State…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.Maku disclosed  in Abuja on Thursday at a Ministerial Platform where the Ministries of Science and Technology, Defense, Niger Delta Affairs and the FCT presented their performance sheet in the last one year.

The minister urged Nigerians to “patronise the things that are researched and produced here, the country will develop.”

According to him, Nigeria would develop only when Nigerians begin to patronise goods researched and manufactured locally.

The minister  commended the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology for its research-based development efforts, adding that new Science, Technology and Innovation Policy was required to promote national development.

He said “We never can develop as a nation until we pay attention to science and technology; the difference between America, Europe, Asia and us is the emphasis on science and technology and human capital development…I want to assure you from what you have seen that intellectual property, creativity, is what we need to advance the development of our country.”

According to the minister, Nigeria has a large market, which has always attracted investors. He, however, urged Nigerians to play significant roles in meeting the needs of the market