Sanwo-Olu urges investors to exploit potential in agric sector

Lagos kicks off retreat for public affairs officers
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged the private sector to take advantage of the huge potential in the state’s agricultural sector, which boasts yearly revenue of N5 trillion.

Sanwo-Olu, who stated this, yesterday, at the flag-off of the distribution of productive assets and inputs to over 3,000 women, youths and vulnerable Lagosians under the 2021 Agricultural Value Chains Enterprise Activation Programme held at the Police College, Ikeja, said the call became imperative because there are lots of untapped potential in the state’s agricultural sector waiting to be exploited.

The governor said despite the numerous strides and gestures, the government alone would not be able to bring about the desired development in the sector, hence the call for collaboration with the private sector.

Sanwo-Olu noted that the Agricultural Value Chains Enterprise Activation Programme was aimed at consolidating government’s efforts in the development and expansion of the state’s entire agricultural sector.

He opined that the objective informed the decision to redesign the programme as “Agricultural Value Chains Enterprise Activation Programme” to bring it to the sub-consciousness of beneficiaries that the government was only activating and starting business ventures for them as they are expected to nurture such ventures to maturity that would be sufficient enough to sustain their livelihood.

Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, noted that since the inception of the programme in 2014, 13,976 Nigerians had benefitted from it.

She said it was the desire of the government to help committed farmers nurture their farming activities into viable and mature agricultural enterprises through a deliberate monitoring and control mechanism.

Meanwhile, the state Ministry of Information and Strategy has kicked-off a three-day retreat for public affairs officers in the state.

The retreat will run between July 29 and 31, 2021 at the Orchid Hotels, Lekki in Lagos State.