The Lagos State government said it has introduced the Lagos Agripreneurship Programme (LAP) under its agriculture-based Youth Empowerment Scheme (Agric-YES).
The initiative was to further the state’s objective of training 15,000 youths and women in the various agricultural value chains by year 2023.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, stated this in a statement issued to THISDAY, recently in Lagos.
He noted that the programme was aimed at improving capacity, creating wealth and employment in the agricultural value chains such as poultry, piggery, aquaculture and vegetables for 200 participants.
“The current reality and exigencies of job creation for the teeming youth population and attainment of food security require that a more aggressive, strategic and efficient approach be employed in the training and empowerment of women and youth.
“Hence the introduction of the LAP under the YES aims to train 15,000 women and youths at the training facilities across the State by the year 2023,” Lawal said.
According to him, the LAP would enhance the economic activities of the surrounding communities; reduce unemployment and crime rate within the state; promotion of the state’s target of producing at least 25 per cent of the food consumed by residents before the end of 2025.
Speaking on the implementation strategy, Lawal explained that the training and empowerment programme would be done in two stages the first being the training session in various agricultural value chains and linkage to funding.
The Ministry of Agriculture would partner with existing farms and agribusinesses with a view to attaching beneficiaries to agribusinesses closest to their location of residence for internship pending linkage to sources of finance.
“Government would also facilitate access to financing through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), CBN Intervention programmes such as Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP), Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme (AADS), Agribusiness/Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS), and the World Bank Assisted Projects such as the Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Programme among others,” the Commissioner said.
