Kunle Adelabu
The Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, has explained that the idea behind the rebranding of the ministry, is to emphasize the operational scope of the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture beyond food production.
She also stated that additional three new departments have been established to improve the state’s efforts in ensuring food security.
Olusanya spoke at a briefing held at the Kaltho Bagutho Press Centre, Alausa, during the week.
“It is not far fetched while there is additional ‘food system’ to the name. Food as we all know which is essentially the bottom line for all that we do as a ministry, is cut across several different activities, and production is not the only thing”, she said.
“We talk about storage, logistics, preservation, packaging and so many other things which encompass a lot more than just farming.
“To accommodate all of these activities up until it reaches your market and gets into your kitchen. It is an entire system and we believe that our job would only be done, while the foods are getting to your homes at costs that are affordable to you and I.
“That is why the rebranding of the ministry by Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo – Olu was effected”, she explained.
Speaking on the creation of additional departments, Olusanya said:
“Also, we will be having addition of three departments – Department of Rice, Services, Agricultural Engineering Department, as well as Agricultural Produce Safety and Quality Control Department.
“The reasons for these departments are also not farfetched, Rice Lot Services, because we are in the process of having a field lot. But not just a field lot; we know Lagos as a hub for food and not just for food marketing, but also the fact that when it comes to cattle – sheep and goat, Lagos still remains the epicenter of where these particular livestock are sold, processed and consumed.
“For that reason, we felt that it is essential to have a Livestock Services Department. We still have the Veterinary Services Department which is more around animal health and we have the Livestock Department.
“For the Engineering Department, we procured tractors and other equipment as far back as 2021, during our enterprise activation programme.
“We have been utilizing it but we will be having more and because of the partnership with sister states, there would be a lot more investment around mechanization, to aid more in terms of crop production. For that reason, we felt that it was essential
“For the Produce Safety and Quality Control Department, since we harp on our stance of Lagos being the food epicentre for Nigeria, when you consider the commercial activities that happens, it is in Lagos, and the food consumed, it behove that in term of how we organize our market is essential.
We felt that having a full – fledged department to cater for produce, safety and quality, is essential.
When we launched in 2021, we also set certain things. We made mention of projects, programmes and activities that, as a ministry, we would be doing. So, in essence, it is also to bring you up to speed on some of the things that we have done and that we will be doing.
In terms of what we do around Lagos, it is centered on four pillars – Domestic Self – sufficiency, Up Country Partnership, Food Storage Processing and Logistic Capacity Development and the Modern Food Market.
“As regard what we are doing around Domestic Self – sufficiency, we believe that this is the area many people harp on and ask what we are doing considering what is happening with the economy.
“The administration of Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu, has done quite a number of things. We believe that there is so much still to be done. We have only done a tip of the iceberg which is why we are asking you as Lagosians, to start growing something at home that you can eat”, she explained.
She also said that the ministry is offering assistance to farm clusters across the state to ensure food sufficiency and encourage youths and others in farm production and other aspects of the food value chain.
“On the Up Country Partnership, she said that the state has commenced moves to sign pacts with more states to force down the prices of food.
She said that the government is considering the available land size and number of farmers available in forming partnerships with other states in order to achieve the goal that the Lagos State Government is set out to attain.
“We had a partnership agreement with some. We are still looking at having more, but not just to have these partnerships, but to have them and see the impacts particularly around pricing of foods.
“For that reason, we are developing an operational framework for private sector players. When we talk of up – country partnership, it’s not only with the government, but also with the private sector, in such a way, we have holistic and the more, the merrier.
“We are looking at items like Cassava, we are looking at states like Oyo, Ondo, Ogun and Osun, as priority because they will be able to grow this in large quantities. When it comes to maize, we have states like Kaduna, Niger, Adamawa and Plateau, they grow a lot of maize”, the commissioner explained”, she said.
She also mentioned rice and other produce.
