Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode has expressed readiness to integrate the six States in the South West region into its the food security drive with a view to addressing the demand and supply deficit for the overall benefit of the people.
The Governor expressed the need for a South Western inter-state cooporation in Agriculture during the courtesy visit by the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II at Lagos House, Ikeja.
Ambode revealed that his Government joined the Oodua Investment Group in addition to the acquisition of land in Ogun and Oyo States for agricultural purposes, as part of efforts to scale up the economic integration of the South West States as well as the cultural heritage of the region.
“I believe strongly that the test case of what we are trying to do about food security in Lagos State is just more or less like an elixir for what it should be across the western region and on that note, we want to say that we have already acquired land in Ogun and Oyo States but what is imperative for us to move forward now is that we would integrate all other Southwestern States into the food security mechanism of demand and supply for us to move forward,” he said.
Speaking further “Everything Ooni has said on food security is in consonance with our belief and we believe that if we move forward, Nigeria will also move foward. The future is brighter as we see it and we will not relent to ensure that our traditional values and culture are enhanced further than what it is presently.”
Meanwhile, Oba Ogunwunsi who had paid a visit to identify with the developmental achievements of Governor Ambode and to seek ways of partnership especially in the area of food security also commended the Governor’s agenda.
Speaking on partnership on food security, the monarch said it was important for the South West States to explore partnership for the benefit of its people.
According to him “We can partner in respect of food security. In Osun State, we have land for agriculture and same in Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti States”.
He also affirmed that the various states of the South West could achieve great success through the integration.
“You will not believe that 80 per cent of all the products from those farmlands are wasted; it is only about 20 per cent that get to the metropolis of Lagos for consumption. Now imagine, if we can just synchronise and work together on how to take food security to another level,” the Ooni said.
In a related development, stakeholders in the agricultural sector have lauded the plans of the Lagos State Government for regional integration into its food security drive, noting that it rides on the crest wave of the South West Agric Summit (SWAS 2016) – a regional Agriculture Summit that held in October 2016, in the ancient city of Ibadan.
The theme of SWAS 2016 which was tagged; “Achieving an Agro-Powered Regional Economy”, had witnessed the attendance of stakeholders from both the public and private sectors who had unanimously agreed on the need to chart a new course of collaboration, in pursuance of a collective effort for agricultural development in the region and the country at large.
AgroNigeria recalls that the Chief Executive Officer, Foremost Development Service Limited, Fatai Afolabi, had canvassed for a regional approach to food production which was also accepted by the forum.
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