By Emmanuel Thomas, Lagos
October 19, 2015 – The Lagos State Government has appealed to stakeholders in the agro-enterprise value chain to work with the state by investing in additional milling facilities to produce enough locally milled rice and wean consumers from imported rice in the next 24 months.
Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode who made the revelation at the 2015 World Food Day in Lagos said his administration is committed to making life better, healthier and wealthier for all residents and investors in Lagos State.
He said that government has concluded plans to collaborate with Kebbi State Government on the development of the Rice Value Chain in the state, adding that Kebbi State is one of the highest producers of paddy rice in Nigeria, and Lagos State is the highest consumer of milled rice in the country.
“Lagos State consumes over 50% of national rice demand which is put at over 2 million metric tonnes valued at over N365 billion. National rice demand is put at over 2 million metric tonnes, 90% of which is imported from other countries which creates a drain on our foreign exchange reserve while thousands of our youths roam the streets unemployed”, he said.
The Governor emphasized that Lagos State has the smallest arable land size in the federation of Nigeria, yet the State is providing food security for about 20% of the national population, saying that the consumption pattern in the mega city of Lagos is expected to triple within the decade.Speaking through Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Olajide Basorun, noted that the theme of the year’s World Food Day; ‘Social Protection and Agriculture: Breaking the Cycle of Rural Poverty’ is a clarion call to the government and the people to synergize and ensure food security for the mass of people.
“We have to synergize and work together; Government will provide the necessary infrastructure and policies to enhance food security by encouraging more people to be involved in the process of subsistence farming”.
He explained that the consumption pattern in Lagos as a mega city is expected to triple within the decade stressing that there is no better time than now for all citizens and stakeholders to engage in one form of farming or the other adding that the state government has provided many incentives and inputs for enterprising residents in the State to engage in farming including establishing farm estates in Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry areas of the State.
“We therefore have to imbibe lessons from the theme of today’s celebration and encourage active participation in farming. Already, we have put in place structures that would encourage our children acquire basic knowledge about integrated farming skills and contribute their quota to the food basket of Lagos State”, he noted.
He said that the state government has acquired land in Ogun, Osun and the Federal Capital Territory with a view to allocating plots of land to interested farmers.
