Lagos calls for more private sector-driven agricultural interventions

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The Hon Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Olayiwole Onasanya and other dignitaries with the State 55-year Agricultural Roadmap

The Hon Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Olayiwole Onasanya and other dignitaries with the State 55-year Agricultural Roadmap

Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal has called for more private sector-driven agricultural interventions and the provision of robust market information systems for Agricultural Value Chain actors.

Lawal, who made the call on Wednesday in Lagos at a Roundtable Discussion on the Implementation of the State’s 5-year Agricultural Roadmap (2020-2025) noted that the call became imperative in order to have adequate planning and circumvent risks and uncertainties in the sector.

“Using other economies that achieved economic growth using agriculture as a model, the lesson for the State is that there must be massive investment in infrastructure, encouraging more private sector driven agricultural interventions, formulating policies that can encourage private sector investment and provision of robust market information systems for Agricultural Value Chain actors in order to have adequate planning and circumvent risks and uncertainties,” the Commissioner noted.

He pointed out that the strategies to be employed for a sustainable agricultural development during this period would be hinged on three pillars, including the growing upstream sector through interventions by leveraging on technologies that are capable of lowering the cost of production of those value chains such as Fisheries, Poultry, Piggery, Rice, Vegetables and Coconut with support from donor agencies.

According to the Commissioner, the other pillars include growing midstream and downstream sectors such as value addition, processing, handling, storage, cold chain, packaging, utilization and commercialization of all agricultural value chains that are of importance by leveraging on the huge market with the support from donor agencies and improve private sector participation by developing or initiating policies that will encourage more private investment into agriculture that is not limited to linking private sectors with sources of business friendly credits.

Lawal said the development of a robust policy framework that matches evidence-driven coordination among decision-making authorities with common and public goals for agricultural value chains of the State and political commitment to achieving the targets in the Maputo Declaration that prescribes a minimum of 10% budgetary allocation to the agriculture are other fundamental issues that needed to be addressed in using the three pillars.

“In using these three pillars, there are fundamentals issues to be addressed in the agricultural sector. These fundamentals are better coordination among public and private actors in agricultural service and inputs delivery system; the need to have a deliberate policy in addressing agricultural infrastructural deficit to reduce the cost of production, make agriculture competitive and increase productivity; finance and risk management by creating a robust linkage to low cost, government-provided financing such as BoA, CBN, BOI for stakeholders and institutional reforms and realignment,” the Commissioner said.

He stressed that interventions for the road map would be in line with strategic focus to drive agricultural growth and food security in a clear and measurable way; implementation of projects in a way that will not exclude the private sector; creation of jobs, create wealth and ensure food security; focus on Value Chains where the State has comparative advantage; and the development of strategic partnerships to stimulate investments to drive a market-led agriculture through, private sector and farmer groups, donor agencies and civil society collaboration and partnership

Lawal noted that youth and women would be given priority in all of these interventions, adding that the projection is that the total investment into the agricultural sector from the Government, Private Sector, Donor Agencies and development partners will run into over N41 Billion.

“Some of the planned projects are Fisheries Value Chain- Cage and Pen Culture, Fish Farm Estate Development, Artisanal Fisheries Development; Poultry Value Chain-Broiler Production and Egg Production; Piggery Value Chain: Establishment of new Pig Estates and Processing facilities; Coconut Value Chain which include the consolidation of land for coconut plantation; Out Grower Scheme for Improved Seedlings; Establishment of Coconut Industrial Park, Establishment of One-Stop Coconut Market and Value Addition Processing,” the Commissioner explained.

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Earlier in her address of welcome, Special Adviser to the State Governor on Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya called for a symbiotic relationship where the private sector would be the main driver and stimulant of agricultural development in the State.

Olusanya noted that such a symbiotic relationship would make the government a catalyst and an enabler of Smart Agriculture that will not only ensure job creation, increased farm income and food security but would also preserve the environment and future.

She pointed out that such a relationship would also engender concepts and partnerships that will lead to improved productivity, profitability and sustainability of the commercial and the smallholder actors.

According to her, the expected overall outcomes of the roundtable discussion are improved food hygiene, food safety, food security, employment generation and wealth creation.

“We also hope that the ratified Road Map at the end of this discussion shall unleash a chain of events that will lead to numerous interventions to eradicate multitudes of problems affecting productivity in the sector. The expected overall outcomes include improved food hygiene, food safety, food security, employment generation and wealth creation,” the Special Adviser averred.

She said that the need for the roundtable discussion was informed by the commitment of the State Government in ensuring that agriculture plays its pivotal role in making Lagos a 21st century economy.

“The essence of hosting of this workshop which is a follow up to the Agricultural Stakeholders’ Summit earlier held in September this year was to further emphasize the importance the current administration ascribes to the contribution of the private sector.

“I am very delighted to inform this gathering that arising from the fruitful deliberations of the Stakeholders’ Summit of 11th September, 2019, the Ministry developed a draft Agricultural Roadmap 2020-2025. The onerous task before this assembly today is to meticulously examine this draft Roadmap for ratification. In the realisation of the enormity of the task ahead, partnering with private sector becomes a must,” Olusanya asserted.

She added that with the calibre of human resources at the roundtable discussion, the goal of chronicling a pathway for the attainment of set objectives is achievable.

“I must confess that am deeply touched by the level of commitment in display by stakeholders. Despite your tight schedules, the unwavering eagerness to serve at a very short notice is amazing. My profound gratitude goes to everyone for honouring our invite despite and pray that the time we are spending here together shall benefit Lagos State in particular and our dear country as a whole,” Olusanya explained.

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