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Lagos Tasks Stakeholders On Agri- Investments Opportunities
Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal has called on stakeholders in the agricultural sector to focus on the comparative advantages in the value chain to develop businesses and strategic partnerships that will stimulate investment in the State.
Lawal, who spoke in Lagos today at the opening of an Agricultural Stakeholders Engagement, also stressed the commitment of the government towards ensuring that the State attains food sufficiency as part of efforts towards making Lagos State a 21st-Century economy that works.
He explained that the forum was convened to promote what he termed the “predict and provide syndrome” in policy decision-making in governance, adding that the contributions and inputs of major stakeholders are important towards the attainment of the State Government’s THEMES Agenda in the agricultural sector.
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According to the Commissioner, the role of Ministry of Agriculture in the THEMES agenda includes the need to ensure food security & improved nutrition for the over 22 million Lagosians; wealth and employment generation with inclusive participation of youth and women; creation of an enabling environment for private sector investment and the institution of policies that support sustainable agri-business practices.
“A State with food security and improved nutrition will no doubt achieve sufficiency in the comparative advantage of food staples and sufficient market infrastructure that will also ensure competitiveness, thereby being the catalyst for agricultural finance through increased partnerships with multilateral and donor agencies,” he noted.
Lawal urged the stakeholders to come up with strategies that would propel the agricultural value chains to the top, as well as leverage on human capital to create world-class products and an enabling agricultural business environment in the State.
“I have no doubts in mind that this will lead to increased IGR for the State Government on one hand as well as leverage potential of other States and access to the Lagos markets. A well-funded private sector capable of scaling emergent agri-business successes will lead to increased inclusive and sustainable practices,” the Commissioner noted.
He listed some of the current initiatives of the State Government in the sector as including the establishment of the 32 Tons per hour Rice Mill at Imota, the Lagos-Kebbi States Collaboration on Rice Value Chain Development; Agricultural Based Youth Empowerment Scheme (Agric-YES ); Agric-YES Songhai Model; Farm Estates Initiative-Fishery, Poultry, Piggery and Vegetables; Quality Input Supply with Robust Business Model and the collaboration with Development Partners such as World Bank assisted Project (APPEALS), DAWN Commission and CBN among others.
Earlier in her address of welcome, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya commended the stakeholders at the session for heeding the call to collaborate with the State Government in developing the roadmap that will guide and reshape the role of agriculture in Lagos State.
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She noted that the stakeholders engagement is a pointer to the readiness of the State Government to revitalise the already existing trends and introduce new technology-based initiatives to achieve food security, improved nutrition, employment generation as well as improved economic prosperity through a combination of business and social development platforms in partnership with the private sector.
“As you might be aware, the administration of His Excellency is committed to making Lagos a 21st-century economy – one of the six pillars of the THEMES agenda. Part of the levers towards achieving this great vision is active stakeholders’ engagement in identifying the needs of Lagosians as well as active and collective participation in solution delivery and sustainability,” she averred.
The programme is expected to address some of the challenges and opportunities in the agricultural sector and come up with a 5-year road plan for the agricultural sector in the State.
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