The Lagos State Government says about 20,000 fishermen and farmers will be empowered with inputs under its 2022 Agricultural Value Chains Enterprise Support Programme aimed at boosting food production.
Abisola Olusanya, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, stated this during the flag-off of the 2022 Agricultural Value Chains Enterprise Support Programme on Thursday in Ikorodu Local Government Area (LGA).
Olusanya said that the empowerment would be presented to farmers across food production and processing clusters communities in the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDA of the state for the next two weeks.
She explained that the programme could not hold in 2022 due to the preparation for the 2023 general elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the empowerment include smoking kilns, water pumps, herbicides, pesticides, knapsack sprayers, kerosene stove, fertiliser and wheelbarrows, among others.
She noted that the administration had also trained 51,476 and empowered 25,691 women and youths in different agricultural value chain
Olusanya said the areas of focus of the training include cage and pen culture, poultry, rice production, snailery, bee keeping, coconut arts and craft, amongst others, using various government platforms.
She said the initiative was designed to provide agricultural inputs and production assets to 120 fishing and farming clusters/communities across the 20 LGAs in the state.
She said: “In all, over 20,000 fisherfolks and farmers will benefit from the programme while budgetary provision has been made to accommodate a larger number of value chain actors in the 2023 edition of the programme.
“I express profound appreciation to Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State, for his immense support to agricultural development.
“It is my belief that all our fisherfolks and farmers in the beneficiary clusters and communities will make the best use of the inputs received toward the overall development of agriculture in Lagos.”
She noted that the attainment of food security was a major policy thrust of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, given its relevance in promoting the health and well-being of citizens and the achievement of the state government’s THEMES Agenda.
Dr Rotimi Fashola, Special Adviser to the Governor on Rice, said that 16,466 farmers, fishermen, agro-processors, butchers and marketers had benefitted since programme commenced in 2014.
Fashola said this year’s edition of the programme would be implemented on a communal basis, a shift from the previous process.
“I urged all beneficiaries of this programme to cooperate with each other in the utilisation of the inputs so that maximum impacts are derived to the overall benefit of Lagosians,” he said.
In his remarks, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, commended the state government for its support to agriculture and food production in the state.
Sotobi urged the beneficiaries to justify the empowerment by increasing their production.
Akin Sokehinsi, a fish farmer and processor, thanked the state government for the empowerment and promised that they will put the resources to judicious use.
