Ayodele Olalere
In order to be self sustained in food production, Lagos State government, on Thursday, launched a five year investment plan in the agriculture sector starting from 2021 to 2025.
The state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu launched the programme at a well- attended programme held at Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island,Lagos.
Tagged “Lagos State Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap”, the investment plan is expected to generate a total of $10 billion investment in the agriculture sector within the period.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said the Covid-19 pandemic, and other events that happened in the state shower the need for the state to be self-producing in the food chain.
He added the investment would be private sector-driven, while government provides the needed infrastructure that the will encourage the private sector to thrive.
”The projection is that the total investment in the agricultural sector from the government, private sector, donor agencies and development partners will run into over $10Billion in the next five years.
”The focus of the 5-Year Agricultural and Food Security Road Map is the development of agricultural value chains where Lagos State has competitive and comparative advantages to enhance the state’s self-sufficiency in food production from 18 per cent to 40 per cent over the next five years, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Lagos State.
”The Lagos State 5-Year Agricultural Roadmap is, therefore, the most appropriate tool needed to unleash the capacity of residents to produce the most-consumed agricultural products in the state and to accelerate the establishment of farms and agri-businesses,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu added reliance on other state for food supply will not augur well for the state. He further said it’s high time the state invested in food production to boost it’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP through the implementation of the 5-year roadmap.
Other benefits of the road map is wealth generation, value creation, food security, the industrialisation of the agricultural sector and the entrenchment of inclusive socio-economic development of the state.
”Our strategies for sustainable agricultural development shall focus on three pillars.
”Firstly, we will grow the upstream sector through interventions by leveraging technologies that are capable of lowering the cost of production of value chains such as Fisheries, Poultry, Piggery, Rice, Vegetables and Coconut with support from donor agencies.
”We will also focus on growing the midstream and downstream sectors that is value addition involving processing, handling, storage, cold chain, packaging, utilisation and commercialisation.
”They are all important agricultural value chains by leveraging on the huge market with support from donor agencies.
”We will improve on private sector participation by developing and initiating policies that will encourage more private investments in agriculture. This will include linking the private sector with business-friendly credits,” he said.
While enumerating some of the investments the state had made in agriculture, the governor said the Imota Rice Mill; the Lagos Food Production Centre Avia, Igborosu-Badagry, as well as other state-wide agriculture-focused initiatives, are some of the positives of the state’s investments.
”I am excited about the wealth we will generate from our fecund land and coastal resources. The next five years will be productive, competitive, and transformational as Lagos state implements its agricultural roadmap.
”We are set to become the nation’s agricultural powerhouse, and I invite you to join us to make history.
“I am greatly encouraged by the interest already generated in the 5-Year agricultural roadmap and I hope it will be sustained and backed with concrete action on the part of our development partners and the international community.
”I assure you that the Lagos state government is putting in place deliberate incentives to make your investment safe, secure, and profitable,” he said.
The Commissioner for Finance, Dr Rabiu Olowo said that agriculture currently generated less than two per cent of the state’s GDP, adding that the establishment of the roadmap would drive in more investments and create wealth.
Olowo, therefore, urged all stakeholders in the agriculture sector to work together to ensure the success of the roadmap.