Lagos must prioritise food production above building estates now – Ojokoro Stakeholders

all efforts should be concentrated on resolving the hike in food prices and scarcity

Olotu empowers Six Hundred (600) constituents with Fifty Thousand Naira N50,000 each

Stakeholders in Ifako Ijaiye Constituency 02, Ojokoro LCDA in Lagos State on Friday, 11th October, 2024 said residents must prioritise food production above building estates now to curb hunger.

The stakeholders spoke at the Lagos State House of Assembly’s 9th Constituency Stakeholders’ Meeting held at Ojokoro in Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency 02, Lagos.

Recall that the meeting was held simultaneously in all the 40 constituencies of the state.

The theme of the edition was “Ensuring Food Security for Sustainable Future: Youth Participation and Home-Grown Farming.”

Addressing the stakeholders, Hon. Emmanuel Olotu, a member representing Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency 02 at the Lagos Assembly, who is also Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, said that the current hunger warranted attention being shifted from other demands towards food production.

According to our proactive legislator, Hon. Olotu, the clamour for food sufficiency lately has been on the increase, hence, the need for all residents and stakeholders to prioritise food production, using all available land spaces and homes.

He said that addressing food insecurity had become “number one” for the people and all efforts should be concentrated on resolving the hike in food prices and scarcity.

Hon. Olotu who is also referred to as "Oxygen" by his lovers said that as lawmaker, the House had created an enabling environment for farming activities to thrive in the state, especially through the passage of the anti-open grazing of livestock law to protect farmlands.

Calling for home-grown farming, Hon. Olotu said that food production systems must be capable of withstanding climate change, economic variables, providing access to healthy food and promoting sustainable practices that preserved national resources.

“To achieve these goals, our farming capacity has to be widened, involving everyone, including the youths, with the skills, knowledge and resources to drive agricultural, innovation and entrepreneurship within every community.

“To boost food production and also to force prices down to bearable limits, there is need for strategic solutions and approaches to farming.

“I call on you all our constituents, who have landed properties to prioritise using them for agricultural purposes in order to encourage participation in agricultural activities,” the lawmaker said.

In his surprise way, which was ascribed as (Koseleri) in Ojokoro LCDA, Hon. Emmanuel Olotu empowers Six Hundred (600) people in his Constituency with Fifty Thousand Naira N50,000 to boost their business and well being, which consists of Artisans, Party Members, CDC, CDA, Youths, Iyalojas, Babalojas and others.

Also speaking, the Executive Chairman, Ojokoro LCDA, Hon. Hammed Idowu Tijani, said that the council remained committed to supporting people interested in food production, especially in this economic hardship.

Hon. Tijani, who highlighted many of his interventions and achievements, said, ” food production should not be left for the elderly.”

Delivering a lecture on the aforementioned theme; Mr Omolade Balogun, who is a representative from the Ministry of Agriculture, said that issue of food production remained a collective business, hence, each Community Development Association (CDA) must focus on its area of comparative advantage.

Balogun urged all council chairmen to declare a day for residents to showcase their home-grown food produce to encourage residents in food production.

Speaking on the gesture, Hon. Jelili Oseni, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Ojokoro LCDA, said that the disbursement was another indication of the love the lawmaker had for the constituents.

Dr Waleeh Ipaye, an APC leader in Ojokoro said: “This is commendable. N30 million disbursement for the people is a lot. We just pray God to continue to strengthen the lawmaker”.

Also speaking, Mr Ipoola Omisore, a former Lagos lawmaker, who noted that the state constituency had been blessed with kind-hearted representatives, commended Olotu for his gesture.

In addition, Mr. Shakin Agbayewa, the Deputy Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Lagos State, said that it was high time to de-emphasise allotment of lands to building of estates rather than farm settlements to ensure food security.

“We have to go back to the basics, the policy that the state has, as regards farm and estate is not ideal; almost all the lands have either been hijacked by government or reallocated back to the estate people.

“From Epe to Ikorodu, all you see are now estates. For us to farm now, the government has pushed us into the bush and this poses security challenge.

“Government should please revisit that policy, allow farmers access to lands. No matter how lofty the idea of the government is without access to lands, we should forget it.

“The government must help us to bring back our farms and ensure security on those farms.

“They should encourage us by working more with the people; they are the landlords renting their properties out,” Agbayewa said.

According to him, without food, those in the estates will not live.

A former Lagos lawmaker, Hon Rasheed Makinde, decried over reliance on white collar jobs, and said that in advanced country, urban agriculture continued to thrive.

In his commendation, he said that Olotu had done well in prioritising welfare of the people.

Alhaja Silifat Olujimi, the Iyaloja General of Ojokoro LCDA, noted that residents should not wait until they  had hectares of land to start farming.

The meeting had various APC Apex Leaders and  community stakeholders in attendance, including traditional leaders, religious and political leaders, youth, artisans and the paramount ruler of Ojokoro land.

©️ Olotu M&P Unit