Don’t Shut Rice Importation Windows, Pastor Schugger Urges Federal Government

Don’t Shut Rice Importation Windows, Pastor Schugger Urges Federal Government

The Founder of Grace Revolution International Ministry, Pastor Schugger Ezenwa Onyeukwu (PhD), has urged the Federal Government to sustain its current rice importation policy, warning that any move to shut the importation windows would be detrimental to Nigerians.

Speaking with journalists on Friday in Lagos, Pastor Onyeukwu said the policy has provided critical relief for millions of citizens battling economic hardship and food insecurity across the country.

He commended the Federal Government for what he described as a bold and timely intervention, noting that the decision to open the borders for rice importation was a direct response to the severe austerity facing the nation.

“The government saw the hunger in the land,” the cleric said. “The suffering was becoming unbearable, and the Federal Government had to take that drastic step to allow rice into the country. Before this intervention, the most consumed food item in Nigeria had become as elusive as precious stones.”

Pastor Onyeukwu noted that the policy has led to a significant reduction in the price of rice nationwide. According to him, a 50kg bag of rice that previously sold for between ₦90,000 and ₦110,000 has now dropped to ₦50,000 or less in many markets.

He added that the impact of the price crash was most evident during the recent festive season.

“Families were happy last Christmas because the same amount of money that could only buy 25kg of rice in December 2024 was enough to purchase a full 50kg bag in December 2025,” he stated.

While acknowledging concerns raised by some local agricultural stakeholders, Pastor Onyeukwu criticised what he described as profit-driven opposition to the policy.

“The farmers are enriching themselves without producing enough to meet local demand, creating artificial scarcity that pushed prices beyond the reach of the masses,” he alleged. “They are fighting for their own selfish interests, but the government must place public interest above all else.”

He urged the Federal Government to prioritise what he termed “stomach infrastructure” by sustaining rice importation, arguing that continued access to affordable food would help consolidate the current relief enjoyed by Nigerians.

According to him, maintaining the policy would go a long way in ensuring food affordability and pushing hunger “towards extinction” in the country.