The Lagos State Government has announced plans to launch a N500 million intervention fund— Ounje Eko— farmers’ subsidy programme.
The launch will happen on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, according to the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms Abisola Olusanya.
At a press conference on Wednesday at Alausa, Ikeja, the state capital, the Commissioner said the subsidy programme for farmers in Lagos is aimed at providing affordable, domestic food sufficiency for over 23 million residents of Lagos State.
According to her, the intervention programme will be implemented in collaboration with private sector and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector to ensure fair pricing of products for end users.
Ms Olusanya explained that the state government would support farmers in the state with a 25 per cent subsidy of animal feeds in their production to markets.
The farmers include poultry, crops and fish farmers, with the government supporting them with tractorisation services for crop production as well as distribution of bags of fertilizers.
The Commissioner further explained that the objectives of the programme are to sustain and improve production levels, ensure a steady supply of poultry and fish products in the market, prevent further farm closures and mitigate food insecurity in the state.
She noted that the initiative is a crucial step in the broader agenda to reduce over-reliance on food imports, and strengthen local food production and the overall agricultural value chain in Lagos State by supporting farmers from production to market distribution.