Lagos State Government has concluded arrangements to hold an Agricultural Stakeholders’ Engagement to address the challenges and opportunities in the agricultural sector as well as commence steps to develop a five-year road plan for the agricultural sector.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal who disclosed this in Lagos noted that the engagement scheduled to sustain the existing efforts of the State Government in the Agricultural Sector towards food security and making Lagos State the 21st Century in line with the THEMES Agenda.
Lawal noted that the forum will discuss ideas, technology and innovations that will consider the day-to-day and evolving realities of farming, agricultural production and food consumption, adding that it would also be an avenue to connect and empower the next generation of agricultural change-makers, Farmers’ Associations as well as Medium and Small scale players in the sector.
“As Lagos State becomes a 21st Century Economy, there is the need to sustain existing efforts of the Agricultural Sector in ensuring food security and also introduce new solutions, ideas, technology and innovations that will take into account the day-to-day and evolving realities of farming, agricultural production, and food consumption”, he said.
According to Lawal, “The introduction of these new solutions, ideas and innovations are expected to transform today’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities in the Agricultural sector. These have necessitated the need to look carefully into strategies to increase agricultural production in the State towards feeding the teeming population.”
He hinted that the stakeholders’ engagement is also expected to come up with ideas on how to facilitate the rapid development of the agro-economy of the State, particularly in areas of comparative and competitive advantage since making the State a 21st-century economy requires food security.
The Commissioner said participants have been drawn from organisations like the World Bank, FAO, ECOWAS, UK-DFID, USAID, CTA, IITA, Africa Rice, Olam, Dizzengof, Meatco and Elephant Group, among others.
Representatives from the academia, special interest groups, government agencies, embassies and commercial/development institutions are also expected to attend the programme which comes up on Wednesday, 11th September 2019, at the Sourjoner by Genesis Hotel, G.R.A, Ikeja.