Wale Jagun with Bolu Oresajo & Taiwo Kudirat Oluwatoyin (SIWES Students)
-As former Majority Leader added voice to home – grow farming
The representative of Ikorodu Constituency I at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Ogunleye Gbolahan Adetokunbo, has urged constituents, especially youths, to participate in agriculture to boost food security.
He said this when he hosted the ninth edition of the Constituency Stakeholders’ Meeting at the his constituency office in Ipakodo in Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area (LCDA) on Friday.
The event, themed, ‘Enabling Food Security for a Sustainable Future: Youth Participation and Home-Grown Farming’, was held simultaneously across all 40 constituencies in Lagos.
In attendance at the event were HRM Oba Bashiru Sotonwa, the Sekumade of Ipakodo, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, former Deputy Governor, Lagos State, Hon Sanai Agunbiade, former Majority Leader, Lagos State House of Assembly, Dr. Adeola Jokomba, State APC Scribe, Otunba Olasunkanmi Tijani, Divisional APC Chairman, Hon. Wasiu Adeshina, Chairman, Ikorodu LG, Hon. Adeola Banjo, Chairman, Ikorodu North LCDA, Hon. Sulaimon Kazeem Olanrewaju, Chairman, Ikorodu West LCDA, Mrs. O.O. Benson, Alhaji Taiwo Longe, former APC Chairman, Alhaji Badru Enifeni, APC chieftain, traditional leaders, party officials, artisans, members of CDA/CDC; security personnel;l, market associations, youth, and students among others.
In his address, Hon. Ogunleye highlighted the importance of youth involvement in agriculture to combat food insecurity.
“As we convene here to tackle this pressing issue of ensuring food security, youth participation in farming home-grown farming, it is important to realise that this is a multi-faceted challenge that requires a comprehensive approach because food security encompasses not only availability but also accessibility, affordability and nutritional value.
“Therefore, our food production systems must be capable of withstanding climate change, economic variables, providing access to healthy food for all and sundry and promoting sustainable practices that preserve national resources.
“To achieve these goals, our farming capacity has to be widened, involving everyone, including the youths with the skills, knowledge and resources to drive agricultural innovation and entrepreneurship within every community.
“To boost food production and also force prices down to bearable limits, there is need for strategic solutions and approaches to farming, such as bringing enthusiasm and passion to the agricultural sector and inspiring a new generation of farmers and agricultural leaders.
“Therefore, I call on you all our constituents who have landed properties to priotise yielding them for agricultural purposes in order to encourage participation in agricultural activities”.
Hon Ogunleye, who said that he grew up into farming and despite being a businessman, he has never stopped farming, charged constituents on the need to go back to agriculture to attain food sufficiency.
The immediate past Majority Leader, Lagos State Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbaide who hosted the last eight editions of the constituency stakeholders’ meeting as the then representative of Ikorodu Constituency I, contributing, said that home-grown farming would provide food sufficiency for family and also income that would be generated from the sales.
He charged that government should made agricultural science important in the school culum and agric club should be brought back in schools to encourage youth involvement. Hon. Agunbiade also added that the government must ensure compliance by the private schools.
The four – term state lawmaker also called on the government to assist farmers with fertilizer.
The lawmaker, who was part of the initiators of the Constituent Stakeholders’ Meeting initiative, emphasized its importance when he said that the platform provides people the rare opportunity to let government know about needs through their representatives.
Prince Soyiga Adeshina, the Deputy Speaker, Lagos State Youth Parliament, who spoke on behalf of youths, charged the lawmaker representing Ikorodu Constituency I, in ensuring that arrested youths are trained in agric and provided with lands to farm.
Another resident, Mr Olorunyomi Caleb, urged the government to make tractors available to farmers to plough and improve in their produce.
Mrs Olayinka Stephens, Deputy Director, Ministry of Agriculture delivered lecture on the theme.
