A Plateau-based entrepreneur and Chief Executive Officer of Gomamty Global Service, Talatu Gomam, has launched a rice processing plant in Jos, declaring that locally produced Nigerian rice is healthier, tastier and of better quality than imported brands.
Gomam, who spoke after the inauguration of the facility, said she ventured into rice processing after completing the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, when she could not secure a white-collar job.
“I got introduced to the rice business in 2019 and by 2021 I opened my own processing plant with de-stoning and polishing machines. I decided to create employment for myself after realising that white-collar jobs were not forthcoming,” she said.
She explained that she initially processed rice manually after buying paddy from farmers in Yelwa, Plateau State, but frequent complaints about stones in the rice pushed her to embrace mechanised processing after visiting a rice mill in Kano.
According to her, the factory was established without government grants or support from development organisations.
“I relied on my savings and contributions from cooperative societies. We also promoted our products on social media, secured orders with advance payments and supplied customers immediately,” she said.
The entrepreneur said the plant carries out parboiling, de-husking, de-stoning and sorting before packaging the rice for consumers.
Insisting that Nigerian rice remains superior to imported varieties, Gomam said local rice retains more nutrients because it is processed naturally and reaches consumers much faster.
“Nigerian rice is the best. Imported rice spends months on the sea and sometimes years in storage before it gets to consumers. Our rice is organic, nutritious, tasty and properly de-stoned,” she said.
She also urged governments at all levels to support local rice processors instead of sourcing rice from outside Plateau during festive periods.
“If government patronises local processors, it will boost the state’s economy, create jobs and encourage more production. We have the capacity to supply tonnes of quality rice,” she said.
Gomam, who is the treasurer of the Rice Millers Association, Plateau State chapter, encouraged young people to embrace entrepreneurship, describing business as a more rewarding alternative to waiting endlessly for white-collar employment.
“It is not easy at the beginning, but with resilience and perseverance it gets better. Building this processing plant took years of planning, and I am glad I never gave up,” she added.
SOURCE: BEACON NEWSPAPER
