As the recession bites hard, different Nigerian states are adopting strategies to cope with the tough situation, through rice production. Cross River State is not resting on its oars in this direction, establishing what it calls a “Rice City”.

In 2015, the Cross River State government and a Thai firm, Thai-Africa Corporation had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of what would be the first Rice City in Africa.

Details of the project as highlighted in the MoU indicated that the Rice City will have a solar mediated and automated rice seedling and nursery propagation centre, rice plantation with irrigation infrastructure and mill including packaging and distribution.

The centre will also have an Agriculture Training Centre, which will oversee the development of various economic crop projects including but not limited to oil palm, sugar cane, cassava, maize, soya beans and more.

It will also have a full mechanised site clearing, planting, weeding and harvesting equipment.

Well, the project has commenced, and here are the photos.