The Governors of Lagos and Niger state have endorsed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Lagos, initiating a collaboration aimed at leveraging their unique advantages.
This partnership is intended to ensure a steady flow of agricultural products to consumers.
This agreement, known as the “Produce for Lagos Initiative,” is an effort by both states to participate in the Emergency Food Security Initiative, planning to cultivate thousands of hectares to maintain a consistent food production and supply chain.
The MoU represents a strategic long-term collaboration between the two states, focusing on their respective strengths. Lagos serves as a significant, organised food market for consumers, whereas Niger boasts extensive arable land suited for agriculture and food production.
Following the agreement, there will be a significant supply of fresh farm produce to the Lagos Food Logistics hubs, ensuring efficient storage and distribution.
What the Governors said
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos and Governor Mallam Umar Mohammed Bago of Niger State formalized the MoU, marking a significant step in this collaborative effort.
- Speaking on the deal, Governor Sanwo-Olu said, “We have just put the pen to paper and signed the Government-to-Government agreement between Lagos and Niger states for agricultural production. Lagos, being the smallest State in terms of landmass, and Niger, being the largest State, is no coincidence that the biggest and the smallest are looking for at opportunities to citizens of our both states to be the beneficiaries of this historic partnership.”
On his part, the Niger state Governor, Umar Bago described the deal as a landmark for both states that leverages on the comparative advantages in both states.
What you should know
The Lagos state government had engaged in similar partnership between it and Kebbi state in the past on rice production which did not meet its objectives. In 2016, Gov. Ambode of Lagos signed an MoU with his Kebbi state counterpart, Atiku Bagudu to supply rice and other agricultural commodities to the state for processing and consumption.
- However, that deal failed to live up the hype as Lagos state like others across currently grapples with a food security problem and its Imota rice mill lies idle as a result of inadequate supply of rice paddy.
- Recently, Governor Sanwo-Olu hinted at plans to get approval from the federal government to allow the state import rice paddies activate the mill.
