Wale Jagun
The premises of the Government Technical College along Awolowo Way, Oke Ota-Ona, Ikorodu, will serve as the venue for the emergency neighbourhood food market for residents of Ikorodu.
THE IMPACT was at the venue on Monday (yesterday) where many white canopies were erected in the morning and were later dismantled but necessary equipment and facilities needed for the take off of the market were already on ground.
During our reporter’s visit, a man who attended to him, informed that the emergency market would take off on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.
A notice, which was pasted on the main gate of theTechnical College, also confirmed the man’s statement.
The notice reads:
“Lagos State Emergency Food Market,
Next Market Day,
Wednesday, April 1, 2020.
Time: 8am – 6pm”
The Lagos State Government had on Sunday, March 29, 2020, flagged-off the emergency neighbourhood food markets for residents of communities across the state, essentially to address the problem associated with the restriction order and promote social distancing in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.
The State’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, who spoke during an inspection tour to some of the markets at Ikeja Primary School, GRA and Ojota Nursery and Primary School, Ogudu, Lagos, noted that there are 25 of such neighbourhood food markets across the State.
Lawal stated that the aim of setting up the neighbourhood food markets is to provide Lagosians access to food supplies during this restrictive period in order to prevent panic buying after the State Governor’s directive closing all markets and stores trading in non-essential commodities.
He added that the initiative of temporary markets within the neighbourhood is meant for families that do not have the capacity to buy foodstuffs in bulk for storage during the stay-at-home period.
The Commissioner explained that the markets, which are the first phase of the initiative, would enable shoppers to buy produce and other everyday needs such as beverages, vegetables, fish, poultry products, bread and other essential needs at competitive, affordable and farmgate prices.
The Commissioner stressed that there is no need for any panic buying by members of the public since the makeshift food and agricultural markets have been put in place by the State Government to ameliorate peoples’ suffering, disclosing that officials of the Nigeria Police and Neighbourhood Watch will be on ground to ensure the maintenance of law and order.
Lawal gave an assurance that fast-moving consumer goods will always be available at the various markets, hence there is no need for panic buying by shoppers.
He, therefore, advised all residents to take individual responsibility during this restrictive period by observing the precautions against the spread of COVID-19 to break the chain of its transmission in the State.
