By Dipo Olowookere
As part of concerted efforts to tackle some of the challenges associated with food security at the community and grassroots levels, the Lagos State government held 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’ for council workers in the state.
The seminar, held on Tuesday at the Lagos State Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Alausa, Ikeja, saw participants drawn from agriculture department of the 20 Local Government Councils and 37 Local Council Development Areas in the state.
Speaking at the event, Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Mr Muslim Folami, appealed to residents of the state to embrace agriculture in addition to their respective professions to ensure food security.
He 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.
Mr Folami charged participants of the workshop 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.”
In his address, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Mr Fola Padonu, pointed out that, “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.”
Chairman of Conference 57 and also the Sole Administrator of 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.
