The Lagos State Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project have contributed N333.9m to the state’s GDP through the 924 farmers supported by the project in 2020.

Production Output Survey validated by the Lagos State Bureau of Statistics (LBS) puts the project’s contribution to the state’s GDP at 0.07 per cent.

Lagos State Coordinator of APPEALS Project, Mrs. Oluranti Sagoe-Oviebo, made the disclosure during an interaction at the Project Coordinating Office in Oko-Oba, Agege, Lagos.  

Sagoe-Oviebo also disclosed that about N199m worth of products in aquaculture, poultry, and rice, have been sold by women, and youth since they received grant support from the project, noting that 44.14 per cent of the 3, 950 beneficiaries supported by the matching grants were females. 

She said Lagos APPEALS Project, which focuses on three value chains – aquaculture, poultry and rice, directes contributes to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as THEMES Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration. 

She, therefore, commended Sanwo-Olu for supporting the project with necessary funds to improve farmers’ productivity in the state, adding that 12, 350 jobs have been generated by its activities, apart from empowering 17, 469 direct and indirect beneficiaries, which include farmers and SMEs with improved technologies, physical inputs, job creation, and infrastructural support among others. 

She disclosed that the project has trained women and youth beneficiaries to develop business plans through capacity building, and support People Living with Disabilities, stressing the construction and rehabilitation of 13.16 km Farm Access Roads (FAR) in four locations across the state has already commenced. 

“The project has continued to promote productivity enhancement technologies and value addition through the demonstration of improved technologies. These have directly impacted the project … The productivity of rice paddy in the state has increased from 2.0 MT to 3.5 MT/Ha. Tilapia has increased from 100 Kg/ m3 to 140 Kg/m3, and broiler from 1.8 Kg/ bird per cycle (live weight) to 2.35 Kg/ bird. The processed output and sales of products for the value chains follow the same trend. 

“The Project has empowered 1,786 Women and Youths under the Project’s Women and Youth Empowerment Programme (WYEP) with Start-up grant support to 1,542 beneficiaries so far. It has also provided training support on Socio-Emotional Skills for agribusiness in collaboration with Gender Innovation Lab/World Bank for some selected beneficiaries of APPEALS project Women and Youths Empowerment Programme,” she said.  

Sagoe-Oviebo also disclosed that: “APPEALS Project has desilted various drainage channels that pose perennial flooding challenges to aquaculture farmers around Erunwen, Adamo, Igbe, Ijede, Omitoro, Parafa in Ikorodu and Ebute – Afuye, Epe and others. Over 200 farmers (direct beneficiaries) have been affected positively by increasing their fish production by over 50 percent; while over 10,000 indirect beneficiaries have also been impacted owing to the mitigation of floods around their farms.” 

Speaking on the objectives of the APPEALS Project, Sagoe-Oviebo said the project aims at enhancing agricultural productivity of small and medium-scale farmers, and on improving value addition along priority value chains in the state. 

“It is aimed at supporting farmers’ productivity and their linkage to markets; facilitating the consolidation of agricultural products and cottage processing; facilitating farmers and small and medium businesses’ clustering and connection to an infrastructure network and business services as well as providing Technical Assistance (TA) and institutional support to beneficiaries, federal and state governments in value chain development,” she said. 

Also speaking, the project’s communication Officer, Folake Ogunlana-Lawal, said the initiative, which would be closing next year, should be tracked to highlight its successes and impact.