Lagos backs FG on food sufficiency in Nigeria

Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said his administration is fully in support of the Federal Government on self–sufficiency in food production for the country.

Governor Sanwo-Olu said this on Thursday while addressing journalists after a tour of the Lagos State Rice Mill and Industrial Park, Imota, in Ikorodu area of the state, noting that the state government was currently making huge investments in Agriculture in line with the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration’s initiative.

He said with the level of work done at the Imota Rice Mill in Imota-Ikorodu production of rice from the mill would start before the end of the year.

“The project depicts continuity in government that is why we are here to see the scope and magnitude of the project,” he said, adding that when fully operational the mill had the capacity of producing 32 metric tons per hour and 2.8million 50kg bags of rice which is about 15-20 percent of the national need.

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Describing the mill as the largest in the country now, Sanwo-Olu said the Mill was also expected to have 16 silos, each six to seven-storey high for storage of rice that would last for six months when completed.

“In terms of completion, there is a lot of work to be done, the contractor is on site, the consultants are also working with the contractor and the equipment manufacturer who is going to begin to do the installation on site.

“All the three are working and we are hoping that before the end of the year, we will probably be seeing the first line being fully completed.

“We are also beginning the conversation around the rice producers in terms of paddy growers and having massive rice cultivation so that we can feed this massive mill we have here,” Sanwo-Olu said.

He said to this end the state had reached out to neighbouring states of Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo under the DAWN commission “so that we can feed into this massive mill.

“We are studying the whole value chain and we are speaking to other stakeholders to ensure that once this project is completed we can begin to galvanize the objective of Mr. President which is looking inward and feeding ourselves as a nation and we are pushing a massive conversation around rice production,” he said.

The light industrial park, the governor said is meant to grow small and medium enterprises “and has every facility required of an industrial park.”

“Apart from meeting with the food sufficiency policy of the President Muhammadu led Federal Government, the mill and the adjoining industrial park is also expected to generate at least 1000-1500 jobs.

“When completed it will have 40 light factories meant to enhance and grow medium and small enterprises to have a small place to do little production, it is a total industrial park that we are putting up here”, Sanwo-Olu said.