IN a concerted effort to address the pressing issue of food insecurity in Lagos State, Hon. Kehinde Olaide Joseph, the Member representing the Alimosho Constituency II in the Lagos State House of Assembly, joined fellow lawmakers for the ninth annual stakeholders' meeting, themed: ‘Ensuring Food Security for Sustainable Future: Youth Participation and Home-Grown Farming’. This gathering brought together key stakeholders, community leaders, and experts to brainstorm innovative solutions and reaffirm their commitment to boosting food security and sufficiency in the state.
Joseph, in his address, emphasised the need for collaboration to address food insecurity, citing it as a complex and multifaceted challenge requiring sustained Government and community effort. He underscored the Lagos State House of Assembly's unwavering commitment, under the leadership of Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, to achieving food security, aligned with the United Nations' sustainable development goals, specifically Goal 2: Zero Hunger.
“We at the Lagos State House of Assembly, under the leadership of Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, is committed to making Lagos a producing State and not just a consuming State in the agriculture value chain to tackle the present-day reality of food insufficiency.
“Our commitment is exemplified through transformational laws and policy supervision in the agricultural sector,” he said, noting that with the collaboration of the Assembly, the Government of the State has made giant strides in the agriculture sector.
He listed some of the agricultural initiatives, including the setting up of the 34-hectare Ikorodu Fish Farm Estate, which can produce and process 10,000 tons of fish per year partnering with 400 fish farmers in the State.
He mentioned the AGRIC-YES programme and the Oke-Aro and Gberigbe Pig Farm Estates, which currently partner with 1,200 farmers and can house and process 88,000 mature pigs per annum.
“It is important to reiterate that, on our part as lawmakers, and myself serving as the Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture during that time, we created an enabling environment for farming activities to thrive in the State, particularly through the passage of anti-open grazing of livestock Law in September 2021,” he added.
He said to achieve food sufficiency, farming capacity needs to be widened while residents should consider animal husbandry.
Joseph, who is serving as the Chairman of the Public Account Committee (PAC), urged the youths and constituents at large to engage in urban farming.
“In Lagos, we are more than 22 million and as a result, we have a huge need for food. People want to eat and engage in food business,” he said urging youths to focus on home-grown farming.
In this vein, Joseph launched a Fifty Million Naira Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) empowerment programme, which is designed to unlock the potential of local entrepreneurs, fostering sustainable growth and contributing to the economic development of the constituency.
"I am delighted to launch this Fifty Million Naira MSMEs Empowerment Programme because I firmly believe that Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises are the backbone of our economy, driving progress and creating opportunities," he maintained.
The beneficiaries of the MSMEs empowerment programme include artisans, People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs), CDC, Market Men and Women, Religious groups (League of Imams/CAN), members of the non-indigenous groups (Ndi-Igbo, Arewa, Middlebelt, South-South), Youth groups, Party members, residents, among others, across Egbe-Idimu and Igando-Ikotun LCDAs that made up the constituency.
