The Lagos State Government says it has concluded plans for the establishment of a ten billion naira project known as Lagos Aquaculture Centre of Excellence, LACE, to be located on a 35 Hectares of land in Igbonla in Epe under a Public Private Partnership arrangement.
Similarly, arrangements are also in top gear for the siting of Food Production Centres in Badagry and Epe areas of the State to further ensure food production and supply in the state.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu made this known in Ikeja during the presentation of inputs to over two thousand farmers and other stakeholders in the Agricultural Value Chain Sector.
According to him, the two centres will ensure the resuscitation, expansion, stocking of agricultural production facilities in various value chains and also develop Agro-Tourism centres in the State Songhai project in Badagry and the Agricultural Training Institute, Araga, Epe.
“It is designed to boost the growth and development of aquaculture industry in the state through the direct production of 2,000 tonnes of fish annually, provision of inputs to fish farmers under the Lagos Nucleus Farms (LANS) scheme and serve as off-taker for fish farm clusters in the State.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, noted that the agricultural sector remains a key component through which he intends to realise his administration’s vision of “Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy”, achieve food security, create employment opportunities and wealth for farmers and all those who operate within the agriculture value chain.
He said this year’s edition of the programme was auspicious coming at a time a lot needed to be done to cushion the effects of COVID-19 on the productive capacity of farmers and other actors within the agricultural value chain.
According to him, the short, medium and long-term goals of these efforts include making the agricultural space attractive for private investment, improve the welfare and well-being of our farmers and sustainably ramp up food production and supply in the State.
In a goodwill message, the member representing Alimosho at the Lagos State House of Assembly, LAHA, Mr Kehinde Joseph suggested the enactment of a law to ensure that the programme would be sustained by subsequent administrations.
In an address of welcome, the Acting Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya stated that the Agricultural Value Chains Empowerment Programme which was designed as a means of channeling the needed support to active smallholder farmers, agro-processors and butchers to create wealth and job opportunities, improve their standard of living and was also targeted at improving food production and food sufficiency in the state.
Ms Olusanya solicited the support of the private sector to sustainably drive the annual programme.
Items given free of charge to the beneficiaries include solar kiosks, fertilizer, cows, sheep, goats, fish fingerlings, poultry, eggs, grain seeds, coconut processors as well as farm produce processing machines and outboard engines for fishing boats.
The empowerment programme was held simultaneously in five other locations including Agege, Epe, Ikorodu and Badagry Agric Centres in line with social distancing protocol necessitated by Covid-19.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the President Fish Farmers Association, Lagos State Chapter, Alhaja Nurat Atoba thanked the State Government for the gesture which she said was a surprise to them because of the huge resources which had already been expended as palliatives to farmers to cushion the effect of Covid-19.
So far, over eleven thousand persons have benefited from the programme since its inception in 2014.
Omolara Omosanya
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