The once-troubled Abakaliki Rice Mill has undergone a major transformation, thanks to the leadership of its Chairman, Linus Nkwuda. Once infamous for being a hotspot for disorder, exploitation, and illegal activity, the mill is now described as a more secure and structured environment for rice traders and buyers.
In an interview on Monday, Nkwuda recounted the mill’s former challenges. “When I arrived, it was chaotic—touts, cultists, and people posing as both buyers and sellers disrupted honest trade. It wasn’t a place where you could do business with peace of mind,” he said.
He explained that the absence of accountability created a leadership vacuum that allowed questionable practices to thrive. “There used to be multiple ‘chairmen’—from treasurers to secretaries—all claiming top authority, but no one took real responsibility,” he noted.
Nkwuda, who also leads the Afu-Igwe Community in Izzi Local Government Area, said that since assuming office, his team has dismantled those parallel power structures, curbed double-dealing, and enhanced transparency.
One of the significant changes he implemented was establishing a police outpost within the rice mill to deter criminal behavior. Public facilities like modern toilets—previously unavailable—have also been installed to improve hygiene and human dignity.
Having been in the rice business since 2017, Nkwuda said his inspiration came from his mother, who used the trade to support his education. “This business has great value, but the environment needed to be cleaned up. We’ve achieved that, and now the real stakeholders run the mill—not troublemakers,” he emphasized.
He added that restoring order wasn’t without resistance. “Some individuals profited from the confusion, but the community as a whole was losing. Today, we’ve returned the mill to its rightful owners—farmers, processors, and genuine traders,” Nkwuda said.
Abakaliki Rice Mill now operates as a hub that supports Nigeria’s food supply chain in a much safer, regulated manner. The chairman expressed hope that the current reforms will position the mill as a model for agro-industrial management in the region.
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