Amid high cost of foodstuff in the state, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has urged farmers in the state to collaborate with their colleagues in other states, to enable them bring their produce for sale in Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu gave the charge during the Grand Finale of the Year 2023 World Food Day Celebrations, themed: “Water is Life, Water is Food, Leave No One Behind,” at the Police College Parade, Ikeja, Lagos.

He said the state government is committed to encouraging farmers, as well as integrated plans to bring about infrastructure and funding to ensure food sufficiency and security in the state.

Stating his administration’s commitment to ensuring that food is always affordable and accessible to the state’s residents, Sanwo-Olu added: “We know that the price of food appears to have gone up, but with interventions like these such as bringing market close to the consumers, I am sure that all the produce brought here today will be picked up and bought. All we are doing today is to ensure that there is access from them.

“We have a robust integrated plan of ensuring that food sufficiency and food adequacy in Lagos is secured. Since food security globally is becoming an issue, as a government, we need to have a market for the farmers and we need to help our residents.”

Sanwo-Olu said the celebration is to encourage all the farmers in the state, adding that farming is important to his administration to ensure that food is affordable and accessible for all.

Affirming that his government fully supports farmers in Lagos, the governor added: “The event is really to come out and encourage all our famers and all the interventions they have, using the APPEALS project. They have added a lot of value and some of them are even for exports.”

Earlier, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, said the day was set aside to encourage action on food insecurity, promote the production and consumption of safe food which have an immediate and long-term benefit on the people, the planet and the economy at large.

She said: “This year’s edition with the theme, Water is Life, Water is Food, Leave No One Behind, comes up in the wake of serious food security issues which requires urgent actions to scale production across the various value chains.’’