Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has restated the commitment of his administration to activate integrated plans to bring about infrastructure and funding that ensures food sufficiency and security in Lagos State, Southwestern, Nigeria.
The governor was speaking at the Grand Finale of the Year 2023 World Food Day Celebrations with the theme: “Water is Life, Water is Food, Leave No One Behind.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu said that the 2023 World Food Day celebration is to encourage all the farmers in the state managing to wriggle out of the current global food crisis as farming is important to his administration to ensure that food is affordable and accessible to all.
He said his administration is building the largest food logistics hub in West Africa and that phase one of the project would be commissioned next year in order to ensure food sufficiency and security in Lagos.
“We know that the price of food appears to have gone up, but with interventions like these such as bringing market close to the consumers, am sure that all the produce brought here today will be picked up and bought. All we are doing today is to ensure that there is access from them.
“We have a robust integrated plan of ensuring that food sufficiency and food adequacy in Lagos is secured. Since food security globally is becoming an issue, as a government, we need to have a market for the farmers, and we need to help our residents.” He said
Governor Sanwo-Olu mentioned that his government had achieved a lot through the Appeals Project, stressing that other areas of the sectors would be developed and strengthened.
Rice Paddy
Speaking on the continuous generation of rice paddy for the Lagos Rice Mill, the governor seeks collaboration of farmers in the state and neighbouring states to grow more rice paddy.
“Farming for us is important, we are looking for paddy rice growers in Lagos because we have the biggest rice mill, and we are also collaborating with other states. Our rice mill needs a lot of paddy
“It does not matter the quantity of turnage of paddy that they grow. We will buy it off from them, same thing with other paddy growers in the county.”
“Food security globally is becoming an issue and for us as a government we need to help the market, farmers and our citizens and we want to assure them that we will continue to bring infrastructure, funding to ensure we live no one behind.” He added
He acknowledged effort of the Ministry of Agriculture as he urged them to continue encouraging farmers, especially in the aquaculture farming such as piggery, fishing, poultry, and other areas where we can excel.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya said the World Food Day celebration was aimed at ensuring farmers in the state were given a space in the society and further as this year’s edition comes up in the wake of serious food security that require urgent actions to scale production across various values chains.
She appreciated the State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for recognising farmers as the bedrock of the nation’s economy and eulogized the farmers for being critical food system players.
Shakirat Sadiq
