Lagos Assembly Members Hold Stakeholders Meeting to Tackle Food Insecurity, Promote Youth Participation in Agriculture

Lagos Assembly Members Hold Stakeholders Meeting to Tackle Food Insecurity, Promote Youth Participation in Agriculture

Lagos, October 2024 – Lawmakers of the Lagos State House of Assembly,held simultaneous stakeholders' meetings across the state on Friday with a renewed commitment to boost food security and sufficiency. The meetings, which centered on the theme "Ensuring Food Security for a Sustainable Future: Youth Participation and Home-Grown Farming," highlighted the importance of collaboration between the government and local communities to end food insecurity.

Hon. Aro Moshood, a member representing Ikorodu Constituency 2 whose constituency covers Igbogbo, Ijede, and Imota, emphasized that addressing food insecurity is a multi-faceted challenge that requires the combined efforts of the government, local farmers, and the public. He reaffirmed the Assembly's commitment to turning Lagos into a food-producing state, in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at eradicating poverty.

"Our focus at the Lagos State House of Assembly is to make Lagos a producing state and not just a consuming state in the agricultural value chain. We are addressing the present challenges of food insufficiency through transformational laws and policy supervision in the agricultural sector," Hon. Moshood said.

He pointed to key initiatives aimed at bolstering agriculture in the state, including the establishment of a fish hub in Ijede to address fish scarcity by empowering local fishermen. Moshood also highlighted the AGRIC-YES program, which has been instrumental in youth empowerment in agriculture, and the development of the Oke-Aro and Gberigbe Pig Farm Estates, which partner with 1,200 farmers and have the capacity to house and process 88,000 mature pigs annually.

The lawmaker underscored the importance of creating an enabling environment for farming activities to thrive, particularly through laws such as the anti-open grazing legislation passed in September 2021. He encouraged residents to explore opportunities in farming and animal husbandry to help widen the state's farming capacity and ensure food sufficiency.

In his 13-month report since being elected, Hon. Moshood highlighted achievements across women and youth empowerment, job provision, and road infrastructure in his constituency. He also distributed tools to women who had been trained in various vocational programs and urged more youths and women to register for ongoing empowerment initiatives to benefit from government support.

The keynote speaker, Mrs. Sholuade from the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, echoed the need for home-grown farming. She urged residents to start small-scale urban farming from their homes, such as growing vegetables and peppers in their flats or compounds. "Everyone can start farming from the comfort of their homes. This will help reduce the cost of food in the market," she said. She encouraged youths and women to take advantage of affordable crop seedlings available at the Ministry of Agriculture to promote food security.

Mrs. Sholuade stressed that Lagos, with a population of over 22 million, has an enormous demand for food, and that home-grown farming can help alleviate the pressure on food supply while providing economic opportunities for residents.

As Lagos grapples with food insecurity, exacerbated by insecurity in farming regions and the decreasing appeal of agriculture to the youth, lawmakers like Hon. Aro Moshood are focusing on grassroots development through sustainable agricultural initiatives, aiming to empower communities and ensure food sufficiency for the state's growing population.