PROSPECTS OF RICE MILLING COTTAGE INDUSTRY IN NIGER STATE OF NIGERIA

The study determined the prospect of the rice milling cottage industry in Nigeria’s Niger State using cross-sectional data. The data were collected with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire complemented with an interview scheduled from fifty-five (55) active millers chosen through a multi-stage sampling technique. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Based on the findings, it can be suggested that the potential of rice milling enterprise in the study area has not been fully explored despite its profitability turnover ratio. The industry is exclusively men enterprise with the majority been low-income earners. Potentials alongside challenges still exist in the rice milling industry as evident by the overwhelming influences of weakness and threat. Millers’ age was observed to be the major inducing factor that increases income inequality among the processors. In lieu of the foregoing, the study advised the millers to adopt a defensive strategy to remain afloat in the industry. In addition, there is a need for capacity building enhancement viz. acquisitions of innovative milling skills by the millers, thus enhancing their managerial efficiency.