{
  "id": 18164681,
  "title": "NGF, BOA seek reliable data to boost rice production",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/ngf-boa-seek-reliable-data-to-boost-rice-production",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-04T19:00:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/ngf-boa-seek-reliable-data-to-boost-rice-production/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF), the Bank of Agriculture, and other stakeholders have called for a unified agricultural data system to address inconsistencies in rice production figures and boost the sector in Nigeria. During a stakeholders' meeting in Abuja, participants identified issues such as unreliable data, insecurity, inadequate financing, and poor coordination among government institutions as challenges affecting the rice sector. NGF Director-General, Abdulateef Shittu, highlighted that Nigeria produces 3.3 million metric tonnes of rice annually, while the country consumes 8.6 million metric tonnes, leaving a significant supply gap. Shittu emphasized the need for better coordination and efforts to address challenges in the agricultural sector, stating that Nigeria has the potential to become a net exporter of rice to African countries and parts of Europe. He also stressed the importance of data in driving development and the NGF's commitment to establishing a dedicated department for data to mine and harvest information across all sectors.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}