Ambode, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Food Security, Mr. Ganiyu Okanlawon, said the state had entered into a partnership with Kebbi State Government to produce ‘Lake Rice’ brand, which would be sold to consumers at N13,000 per bag.
The Lagos Governor disclosed that his government had also established a department of agribusiness in the Ministry of Agriculture, the first commodity exchange market in Nigeria, and an agricultural trust fund.
In her opening remarks, the LCCI President, Dr. Nike Akande noted that the agricultural sector was expected to play a pivotal role in the nation’s quest for diversification through increased non-oil earnings, job creation and foreign exchange earnings.
“These are needed to drive the economy towards the path of recovery from recession,” she said.
Citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, Akande noted that even after the recent rebasing of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, agriculture still accounted for a large share of its economic activities.
The LCCI President urged the government to do more in terms of providing enabling business environment where private sector businesses could thrive, stressing that, “The development of a good rail network to facilitate the movement of agro produce to markets cannot be overemphasised”.
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