Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has said the plan of the state is to partner with interested stakeholders in agro business in an effort to ensure food security in the state.
Ambode, who spoke when he received the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Sean Hoy, at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, on Wednesday, said his administration was looking to expand the agricultural sector and increase the production capacity of its farmers in the nearest future.
The governor said, “One area that Lagos is really interested in is in the agro business, I am very interested in the food security of this state. We have a population that is over 20 million and we should be able to plan properly the food security of the state.
“We cannot claim that we are self sufficient right now, but we have a plan to be able to let us feed ourselves at some point in time. It’s quite unfortunate right now that the state consumes almost like N300bn worth of rice annually and what we have in terms of production is maybe like five per cent.
“We are looking at a situation where we would expand the potential of our farmers and cross into other states and be able to produce staple products for the people of Lagos. So, if we have any partnership that can assist us in securing the future of our people in terms of agro business, will be highly welcomed.”
The governor, who also met with a team of investors from the United Arab Emirates, led by Prof. Pat Utomi, restated the commitment of his administration to evolve policies and initiatives that would transform the city state into a destination for investors across the globe.
Ambode explained that in less than 100 days of his administration, efforts had been made to create an atmosphere for investors to look towards the direction of the state and for existing business to thrive.
“We have already created an Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment to directly deal with issues that relate to investors coming into Lagos.
“We are committed to a situation where we would create a new city, where Africans and especially Nigerians in the Diaspora can be proud of and then, we also can be proud of,” he stated.
The governor added that the state’s commercial strength with a population predominantly youths, made it unarguably the home of the future of investments in Nigeria.
Utomi, in his remarks, said the group of investors from the UAE, was aspiring to play a role that would significantly change the business climate in the state, stressing that the group was looking to invest as much as $10bn in the state within a period of time.
“Smart City Dubai, which has a track record of transforming a desert village in one generation to the world’s business hub, my hope and my expectation is that this initiative will make that happen for Lagos and be part of the inspiration along with other projects that you are driving — the Eko Atlantic City — and a host of others, to make this a hub for which the economic emancipation of the black man,” the don added.
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