The Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Mr. Muslim Folami, has called on Lagos residents to embrace agriculture in addition to their respective professions to ensure food security in the State.
Folami made this known on Tuesday during a Capacity Building Workshop themed “Aligning Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas Agricultural/Food Security Delivery Services with Lagos State Changing Economic Environment’’ and organised for all personnel in the Agriculture Department of the 20 Local Government Councils and 37 Local Council Development Areas in the State.
The Commissioner expressed the present administration’s conviction that enlightenment and empowerment of relevant local government and local council development area personnel would engender sustainable economic development in the State.
He, therefore, implored all the participants to tap from the wealth of experience of all the resource persons and go back to their various locations to train the farmers and other interested residents because ‘’food production is key and germane in the present administration and any Nation without food is not a Nation’’.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Mr. Fola Padonu, noted that the training organised for personnel in the agriculture department is a major milestone in the concerted efforts to tackle some of the challenges associated with food security at the Community and Grassroots Level.
‘’The major pillars of tackling the problems associated with food security at the Community level is to have a virile agricultural and food security strategy at the third tier of Government, being the closest to the people’’ he stated.
He said that the workshop is to train the trainers on the technical innovations and fundamental issues that will promote agriculture development in the State.
While delivering his goodwill message, the Chairman of Conference 57 and also the Sole Administrator, Bariga Local Council Development Area, Mr. Sanya Oshijo appreciated the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode for putting in place measures to ensure effective food security for the populace, adding that it will lessen the pressure on importation of food items.
He added that the capacity training will increase the economic value of the State as he assured that the Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas would key into the process and ensure food security and its sustenance in the State.
While promising that participants will deliver more efficient services after the training, the Director of Community Agric in the Ministry, Mr. Dapo Olakulehin thanked the State Government for the opportunity given to the Department to benefit from the capacity Training Workshop for all the Agric Personnel in various Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas.
The event was held at the Lagos State Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Alausa, Ikeja.