The belief that Lagos is cosmopolitan and so may not be open to the practice of agriculture is being erased by successive governments in the state. Apart from the coconut farms in Badagry, piggery farms in Ikorodu and Oke-Aro area of Ogun State (established and run by the Lagos state government), the vegetable farms across the state and rice mill in Ikorodu, the state continues to unveil innovations that will encourage farmers in its domain. Conscious of the fact that the immediate headache of the farmer is how to dispose of his or her products without being perpetually at the mercy of the middlemen, the State Government has commenced Lagos State Food Hub at Idi-Oro, Mushin. The launching was done on Sunday, January 28, with a food fair to signal the official commencement of commercial activities at the hub.
It will be recalled that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu opened the hub to serve as a mega centre for fresh farm produce from the source to the consumers in 2023.
The fair will serve as a template for commercial activities for the hub, which will be held for 20 Saturdays before translating into full market activities.
There is also a bonus for consumers and buyers at the hub. They will get a 10 percent discount on any purchase between N2,000 and N5,000.
Dapo Olakulehin, General Manager of the Lagos State Coconut Development Authority, while speaking at the event, said the fair is to connect farmers to consumers and to also show that Lagos is a giant in agricultural ventures. He, therefore, urged farmers to participate in the fair to make more profits.
He said, This fair will be coming up for the next 20 Saturdays, every Saturday till the end of July. Today is the first day; next week Saturday some more farmers will also be here. So, I urge everyone to take advantage of this golden opportunity, both the farmers and the consumers.
I can assure them whatever they buy here is of the utmost quality because we have ensured that whatever produce being displayed here is straight from the farm. We also have quality control officers who monitor the entire value chain to ensure only the best is sold here. It is also an avenue to improve the states economy because everything sold here is produced in Lagos. So, its a case of our money circulating in Lagos.
And not forgetting a 10 percent discount for any purchase between N2,000 and N5,000 when payment is made through a MoMo account. So, this is a golden opportunity and I encourage people to participate.
LAGOS OPENS FOOD HUB WITH WEEKLY FAIR
