The Lagos State Government has announced that the Easter edition of the emergency neighbourhood food markets will hold on Thursday, April 9.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, who disclosed this on Tuesday, noted that the neighbourhood food markets will be open in 27 of the selected public schools within 14 Local Government Areas of the State.
He explained that that the neighbourhood food markets were set up to provide Lagosians access to food supplies during the restriction period, in order to prevent panic buying as a result of the State Governor’s directives closing all markets and stores trading in non-essential commodities.
Lawal reiterated that the markets are makeshift markets within the neighbourhood for families that do not have the capacity to buy foodstuff in bulk during the current lockdown in the State.
The Commissioner explained that the markets would enable shoppers to buy products and other everyday needs such as beverages, vegetables, fish, poultry products, bread and other essential needs at competitive, affordable and farmgate prices.
According to him, the selected schools within which the markets are situated are St. Judes Primary School, Ilasamaja; Ilupeju Primary School, Town Planning Way, Illupeju; Papa Ajao Primary School all in Mushin Local Government; Local Government Primary School, Idimu; Meiran Community Primary School, Meiran in the Alimosho Local Government area; Sijuade Primary School, Ijesatedo; Lagos Progressive Primary School, Mbah Street, Surulere; Obele Secondary School, Lawanson and Aguda Grammar School, Aguda all in the Surulere Local Government area.
Others are Ikeja Primary School; Opebi Primary School, Ikeja; United Christian Primary School, Marine Beach; Ijora Oloye Primary School; Ire Akari Nursery and Primary School II, Iganmu all in the Apapa Local Government Area of the State; St Jude Primary School, Ebute Meta; Fagba Junior Grammar School, Iju; Stadium Junior Grammar School, Ifako; Ikota Primary School, Lekki-Epe Expressway, Ikota; St George’s Primary School, Ikoyi; Araromi Baptist School, Beckley Road; Lagos Island; St Emmanuel Primary School, Ogudu; Ajao Estate School, Anthony; Sam Ethan Airforce Base, Ikeja and Ejigbo Model Primary School, Ejigbo.
He noted that other schools are St. Theresa’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Epe; Awolowo Way, Oke Oyinbo, Epe; Anglican Primary School, Aradagun/Mosafejo Aworo/Ajido Road, Badagry; and Government Technical College, Awolowo Way, Oke Ota-Ona, Ikorodu.
While imploring shoppers to adhere strictly to safety measures and take the precautionary measures of social distancing during shopping, the Commissioner reiterated his earlier call on the people not to panic-buy as the makeshift food and agricultural markets have been put in place by the State Government to ameliorate peoples’ suffering.
He, therefore, advised all residents of the State to adhere to the instructions of the Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control during this restriction period so that the chain of COVID-19 transmission can be broken in the State.
