By Olayinka Olawale
The Lagos State Government says it is committed to implement the five-year Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap to achieve 40 per cent food self-sufficiency by 2025.
Ms Abisola Olusanya, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, stated this at the Lagos Food Systems Stakeholders’ Breakfast Meeting, on Thursday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the five-year Agricultural Food Systems Roadmap was launched in 2021 by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Olusanya said the state government would provide funds for agric service providers, improved rice paddy production and land bank collaboration with sister states.
“We will go live on eight projects which include, Central Logistics Hub, Lagos Aquaculture Centre of Excellence (LACE), capacity building for horticulture stakeholders, full operations and capacity building for stakeholders in the Lagos Food Production Centres.
“Others are execution of state-wide intervention and Green Wall Initiative,” she said.
Olusanya listed others as the establishment of Agricultural Value Chains Entreprise Activation Programme, Agri-thon, Lagos Cares, Lagos Entrepreneurship Programme and the Lagos Agric Scholars Programme.
“The state government will also create the Lagos Agrinnovation Clusters, the Food Value Chains’ Destination, the Lagos Central Food Security System and Logistics Hub and the Middle Level Agro Product Hub.”
Olusanya said part of the roadmap was to increase production of rice paddy in order to meet with the growing rice consumption of the state.
The commissioner said the state government would increase the production of rice paddy by partnering with other sister states such as Niger and Kebbi states on land bank collaboration.
Olusanya listed the projects to be undertaken by the state government to include Lagos Rice Mill, the Central Logistics Hub, – the Red Meat Initiative, Lagos Feedlot System and Butchers’ Academy among others.
The commissioner said the ministry would set up the Lagos feedlot system, establishment of Butchers’ Academy, creation of Last mile meat Shop.
The state’s Head of Civil Service, Mr Olabode Agoro, said the state government was bringing back operation feed the nation by allowing the civil servants to participate in the agricultural sector.
Agoro said his mother, a retired civil servant, was also into agriculture produce, urging the civil servants in the state to engage in the agriculture.
In his remarks, Mr Mosopefolu George, the State Commissioner for Economy, Planning and Budget, said the state government has already increased its budget on agriculture.
George attributed the increase to the importance of food chain and agriculture system to the state.
He noted that the ministry had been doing well in the area of rice mills, food and logistics hub just to mention a few. (NAN)
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
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