The Lagos Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has reiterated the commitments of his government to remodel various agricultural estates and farm settlement across the state.
According to the governor, the move would boost production and encourage youth participation in agriculture and to ensure that the state attains self-sufficiency in food production.
Sanwo-Olu, who disclosed this at the recently concluded Ecobank Agribusiness Summit held in Lagos, noted that efforts have already started towards achieving this goal through the recently concluded appraisal of the current state of these estates.
According to him, “Towards achieving these goals, the State through the Ministry of Agriculture, has prepared a strategic plan to collaborate and partner with stakeholders in policy review, formulation and implementation, database collation and upgrade; capacity building with special focus on youths and women.
“Public private partnership to establish companies and processes to boost and sustain agricultural productivity in fisheries, poultry, piggery, red meat, coconut, rice and vegetables value chain by adopting appropriate technologies in line with global best practices,” he stated.
The Governor who was represented by his Special Adviser on Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, explained that the state government was also collaborating with development partners like the World Bank to implement various agric-based projects in the State.
He stressed that the Agro Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Support Project (APPEALS) was one of such projects which would empower no fewer than 10,000 farmers in the state in the next four years.
“All these initiatives and several others being promoted by this administration are meant to encourage private sector participation in the agric sector. It is very important that we pay special attention to the agricultural value chain because it is only through the value chain that we can maximise the potential in the sector.”
