Press Releases

Ministerial Briefing: Food Security Has Impacted On The People, Says Agric Commissioner

Mar 31, 2008 - Ahead of the one year anniversary of the Babatunde Fashola administration, the Lagos State Government Monday said the food security programme of the administration has had the desired impact on the people of Lagos State .

The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperative, Chief Enoch Kolapomoye Ajiboso, on Monday said the programme, like other programmes initiated by the administration, was doing very well to ensure the continued availability of quality food to the people in the right quantity and at the right price.

Coming first in the series of Ministerial Briefings leading to the May 29, 2008, celebration of the administration’s one year in office, Ajiboso told Government House Correspondents at the Baguada Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa that as part of the administration’s Ten-Point Agenda, as it relates to his ministry, emphasis, in the first 300days, had been on marine and artisarnal fisheries as well as aquaculture in view of the State’s abundant aquatic endowment.

Listing the achievements of his ministry within the first 300 days of the administration, the Commissioner, who was accompanied by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Barrister Opeyemi Bamidele, said in line with the campaign promises of Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), his ministry developed an initiative tagged Lagos State Marine Agriculture Development (LASMADEP) for the utilization of the State’s water resource, adding that the programme embodies Marine Aquaculture Development, Marine Weeds Control and Utilization project, Marine Agriculture Development Fund, Marine Agriculture Extension and Capacity Building Service and Enhancement of Legal Framework for Marine Agriculture.

According to the Commissioner, under the Marine Aquaculture Project, the ministry introduced a relatively new form of commercial fish production known as Cage and Pen culture which allows for the breeding of fish in the wild and open water using technologies that are suitable and adequate to the local environmental condition, adding that when fully popularized, the system would help address the problem of declining fish catch in the State.

He said the project was established on pilot bases in six fishing communities in the state, namely Ise, in Ibeju-Lekki, Oko-Orisan Epe in Epe, Idale/whadekoh in Badagry, Badore in Eti-osa, Oto-Awori in Ojo and Ijede in Ikorodu.

Ajiboso said in establishing the Marine Agriculture Development Fund, his ministry wanted to address the relatively high cost of essential fishing inputs and the difficulty currently being experienced by fishermen in accessing credit to purchase them, adding that the fund would be based on the Central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN) Trust Fund Model with the State depositing 50 per cent of the needed fund with a bank of its choice while the participating bank would match such fund with the balance of 50 per cent and lend to beneficiaries recommended by the government.

He said in anticipation of conflicts that could arise from the control and use of the water bodies in view of the expected adoption of the marine agriculture development project, his ministry had initiated action for the control and allocation of space on water for new marine aquaculture to minimize conflict and create conducive environment for the industry.

The Commissioner said the Fish Farming Estate initiative by his ministry was conceived to promote fresh fish production through Public/Private Sector collaboration towards the attainment of Food Security in the State adding, “the250-pilot, 34 hectares Fish Farming Estate established in Ikorodu by the last administration has been completed and fully subscribed with about half of the production ponds stocked”.

Other achievements within the period, according to the Commissioner, include eradication of unwholesome mode of meat transportation (deployment of 75 Eko Meat Vans ), procurement of tractors and sets of implements, re-activation of Agricultural Training,Institute Araga-Poka, Epe, Beautification of State Secretariat Complex, Alausa and its environ, establishment of plant nursery at Temu, Epe, Agricultural Youth Empowerment Project (Rice for Job), Women Farmers Cooperative Development, National Fadama 11 Development Project, Fadama 111 Preparation and Livestock Development Activities among others.

In his remark after the briefing, Barrister Opeyemi said one of the strongest characteristics of the present administration was its capacity for team work adding that the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative, as part and parcel of the administration was working in accordance with the same strategy.