Lagos residents consume N4.5bn food daily —Sanwo-Olu

GOVERNOR Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State says residents of the state consume about N4.5 billion worth of food daily just as he reiterated commitment to food security. 

Sanwo-Olu said this at the opening ceremony of a two-day zonal sensitisation workshop with the theme: ‘Implementation of Food Systems Transformation Pathways in Nigeria 2022’ on Monday in Lagos. 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning in collaboration with Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Lagos Ministry of Economic, Planning and Budget. NAN reports that Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti are participating with Lagos as a coordinating state for the South-West geopolitical zone. 

The governor, represented by Mr Sam Egube, Commissioner for Economic, Planning and Budget, said the state had decided to take the bull by the horn in guaranteeing food security for people with different agricultural and food value chain. 

According to him, Lagos has a rich history of economic growth and transformation. 

“Although it covers only 0.4 per cent of Nigeria’s territorial land mass, making it the smallest in the country. 

“It accounts for over 60 per cent of industrial and commercial activities. Lagos is a coastal state and has an extremely limited arable land space and home to about 21 million people. 

“Its residents consume about N4.5 billion worth of food daily and 50 per cent of beef produced in the country, running into several billions in other trading activities with markets cutting across all the local government areas in the state,” he said. 

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He called for joint collaboration among South-West geopolitical zone to implement the Food Systems Transformation Pathways 2022. Sanwo-Olu added that improving the food systems would influence positive changes and as well, address multiple challenges being experienced in the country. He said that the state agriculture roadmap was a deliberate effort to develop the sector by way of interventions from the public and private sector, international technical and donor organisations. 

“As a state government, we will continue to provide infrastructure and incentives to support all private sector initiatives where required. “History has shown that any society that is unable to provide food guarantee, its security is open to abuse and utmost danger,” he said. 

The governor commended the efforts of the Federal Government on its efforts to ensure that the food systems summit, in conjunction with the United Nations, is developed. 

He urged all participants at the workshop to show commitment by sharing ideas and opinions on the selected programmes slated to kick-start implementation. Mr Mathias Schmale, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations, commended the Federal Government for its efforts toward sustainable food systems in the country. 

Schmale, who was represented by Mr Isiaka Ibrahim, UN Coordinator in Lagos, reiterated that the UN would continue to work with government and as well strengthen collaborations with all stakeholders in support of this transformational journey. 

Mrs Olusola Idowu, the National Convener/Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, said an implementation team made up of key stakeholders had been constituted to develop an implementation plan. 

Idowu noted that the workshop provides an opportunity to present and discuss the identified priority actions selected for implementation from January 2022.