Wednesday 15 June 2016

Lagos State Committed To Agriculture, Food Security – Ambode

Lagos State Committed To Agriculture, Food Security – Ambode
In Nigeria, Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday assured that his administration is committed to agricultural development as a means of getting alternative revenue and ensuring food sufficiency in the state.
The governor gave the assurance when members of the 5th joint Federal Government of Nigeria/World Bank implementation support mission on third national FADAMA development project (FADAMA III) paid him a courtesy visit at his office in Alausa Ikeja.
While commending the World Bank and the federal government for selecting Lagos as one of the states for rice production, he assured that the state will play its part by providing funds and infrastructure to meet the needs of farmers in the state and ensure that the project succeeds.
The governor, represented by his deputy governor, Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule, said the state  government’s commitment to ensuring food security and enhance food production in the state necessitated its signing of memorandum of understanding on agriculture with the Kebbi State government, assuring that the positive effects of the collaboration will soon be felt by Lagosians.
Ambode who expressed confidence that the partnership would enhance food processing, production and distribution in the state, said his administration recognises the importance of the agricultural sector in wealth and job creation as well as in growing the economy and has thus made the sector one of its cardinal programmes.
Earlier, the task team leader World Bank, Dr. Adetunji Oredipe said the FADAMA project was set out to assist small scale farmers and other groups in the provision of production assets, infrastructure, capacity building and advisory services.  He said that the World Bank, through FADAMA, identified rice, cassava, sorghum and horticulture as priority staple foods.
For support under the 200 million dollars FADAMA III Additional Financing aimed at scaling up production and increasing income of farmers.
Lagos State has been selected for rice production under the current project because of the success stories of FADAMA parent projects in the state.”


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