Border Closure: Nigerians Prefer To Buy Foreign Rice – Sellers lament

Cat:

Related stories

Drama as 16, 17-year-olds Now Allowed to Vote In UK Elections

By Abiola Olawale  The government of the United Kingdom announced...

Brazil’s Petrobras Weighs Return to Retail Fuel Market to Reduce Prices

Brazil’s Petrobras will discuss this week tweaking its mid-to-long-term...

Base Handover: France Ends Decades-Long Military Presence in Senegal

By Abiola Olawale France on Thursday officially ended its 65-year...
Rice sellers in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital have expressed worry over the reluctance of consumers to buy locally produced rice.

Some rice sellers who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday said consumers preferred to pay more for foreign imported rice than the cheaper locally produced one.

A rice seller, Mallam Mahmud Ismail said only few customers requested for local rice as they always preferred the foreign version.

“Hardly will you see one out of 10 customers requesting for local rice in my shop. They always want the foreign rice,” Ismail said.

Another seller, Mrs Bimpe Ekundayo said customers complained about the poor quality of the local rice.

“Many customers complain of stone particles and the low quality of local rice. I make sales of 10 bags of foreign rice to 4 bags of Nigerian rice due to the quality,” Ekundayo said.

Another seller popularly called Iya Ibeji at Ipata market said sales of local rice was not fast as customers looked down on it.

“Local rice is always second choice in their budget. They feel reluctant and sad when I suggest for them to buy local rice. They are even ready to pay more for the foreign rice,” she said.

Mrs Iyabo Aina called on the Federal Government to lift ban on the importation of rice and allow free flow of the product in the country.

“We are not making sales anymore. Nobody is ready to buy local rice and it is affecting our business. Government should do something on time,” Aina said.

However, Mr Stephen Ikechukwu, another seller, lamented that the closure of the borders against importation of foreign rice had caused sharp increase in the general prices of rice in the market.

“Now, we sell local rice for N20,800 while the foreign rice is N26,000. It was never like this before the closure of the border when we used to sell a bag of local rice for N9,500 and the foreign N13,000,” he said.

Also, a rice seller, Alhaja Rukayat Usman urged the Federal Government to encourage the public to patronise local rice and stop discriminating against it.

“We need to change our attitude towards locally made products and appreciate Nigerian made. We are fond of prioritizing anything foreign ahead of our locally made products which are bad,” she said. (NAN)

Hamilton Nwosa
Hamilton Nwosa
Hamilton Nwosa is an experienced, and committed communication, business, administrative, data and research specialist . His deep knowledge of the intersection between communication, business, data, and journalism are quite profound. His passion for professional excellence remains the guiding principle of his work, and in the course of his career spanning sectors such as administration, tourism, business management, communication and journalism, Hamilton has won key awards. He is a delightful writer, researcher and data analyst. He loves team-work, problem-solving, organizational management, communication strategy, and enjoys travelling. He can be reached at: hamilton_68@yahoo.com

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
2027: Buhari’s exit Cripples APC in entire North as CPC Loyalists Defect in Large NumbersDrama as 16, 17-year-olds Now Allowed to Vote In UK ElectionsSenate passes $9 billion in spending cuts to public broadcasting, foreign aid requested by TrumpBrazil’s Petrobras Weighs Return to Retail Fuel Market to Reduce PricesBase Handover: France Ends Decades-Long Military Presence in Senegal5 Oil Titans Who Revolutionized the Energy Sector2027: Dele Momodu dumps PDP for Coalition party, ADCBuhari's Honour: Tinubu holds special FEC session as Nigerians Mourn late Hero, Statesman. First Bank Crisis: In High-Stake Intrigues, Otedola Seizes Control with 40% Stake as Oba Otudeko Exits in N324.47bn DealElderstatesman, Emeka Anyaoku, Speaks Again , Urges Nigeria to Adopt a "People’s Democratic Constitution""Nigeria's challenges not about the constitution, but its operators", says ObasanjoNigeria Surpasses OPEC’s 1.5 Million Barrel Oil Quota in June 2025Natasha vs Akpabio: Senate President Heads to Court, Challenges Court Order to Reinstate SenatorOluwo Commends Awujale's Burial, Says Late Monarchs Shouldn't Be "Butchered Like Animals"Alleged N6.9Billion Fraud: Drama as Ex-Governor Fayose Wins in Court
X whatsapp