Nigeria's rice import burden is predicted to swell, as demand is forecast to double supply growth through to 2013.

According to the Nigeria Agribusiness Report Q409, the country's rice import bill is currently thought to be around US$1 billion. In order to address this situation, local company Notore Chemical Industries has begun initiating a project in Nigeria's main growing states. The initiative focuses on three main points: food security, job creation and income enhancement.

The Notore Foods subsidiary has so far agreed to collaborate with local governments to build production plants in Cross River State and Taraba State. The plants will be vertically integrated, allowing for a 20,000 hectare farm, as well as significant milling capacities.

Notore predicts that around 70,000 jobs could be created in the two plants alone. It would be in the company's interests to start constructing the plants sooner rather than later as demand for rice is predicted to surge by almost 50% to 2013, widening the domestic deficit.

Such a dynamic is typical of the new wave of public-private investment initiatives that many believe will have a profound impact in shaping the future of Nigerian farming. These projects will only be successful if the private companies are given the necessary support from the state governments and afforded a favourable socio-political framework in which to operate. Transparency is key, as is the ability for the correct inputs to be easily acquired and dispersed to the relevant areas.

The report forecasts a particularly favourable outlook for Nigerian agriculture through to 2013, as reform efforts reap marked rewards.