By Henry Uche
Member representing Amuwo-Odofin constituency 1 at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Stella Foluke Osafile, penultimate week hosted the 9th edition of the annual constituency stakeholders’ meeting with the topic: Ensuring Food Security For A sustainable Future: Youth Participation And Home -Grown Farming.
The event which held in Lagos was chaired by Honourable (Dr) Valentine Braimoh Oluwaseyi, Chairman, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area.
In his opening remarks, Oluwaseyi eulogised Osafile for effective representation of Amuwo- Odofin constituency 1 at the Lagos State House of Assembly and pledged total support for her.
He advised stakeholders at the meeting to fully furnish their representative in their feedbacks, needs of the constituency to enable her present same to the State House of Assembly for inclusion in the States’ 2025 budget.
During her opening address, Osafile while commending the massive turnout of stakeholders, remarked that this year’s annual event was the first under her leadership. She promised more robust representation of the constituency as she engaged them in the coming years.
Osafile further announced that in line with the commitment of Lagos State House of Assembly and the Executive, to make Lagos a food producing and not just a consuming state in agricultural value chain, to tackle the present day reality of food insufficiency, she embarked on some pilot projects that involved some youths, tagged: Empowerment Through Urban Agriculture which proved successful.
She added that youths were engaged in planting of different vegetables, fruits and other food items in clusters, thereby encouraging them in home- grown farming.
Osafile also encouraged participants to adopt spaces in their compounds, fences and available smaller spaces, even though Amuwo- Odofin constituency1 is constrained with build- up areas, to engage in hydroponic farming which uses a nutrient- rich water solution while
vertical farming is growing plants on inclined surfaces.
She equally introduced the audience to a new vegetable called steviol that tastes sweeter than sugar and can be grown in homes.
Osafile further informed the gathering that she has engaged International lnstitute of Tropical Agriculture(IITA) Ibadan, to further train members of the constituency very soon in Agric farming.
Earlier, in a speech by Dr Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly and delivered by Osafile Foluke Stella, he remarked that the House has introduced several initiatives to increase agricultural productivity and output in the state. Some of these initiatives and interventions include setting up of a 34- hectare Ikorodu Fish farm Estate which has capacity of producing and processing 10,000 tons of fish per year, the AGRIC- YES programme is designed to encourage youths participation in the emerging agric value chain among other initiatives.
He emphasized that food security is a multi- faceted challenge that requires a comprehensive approach as it involves not only
availability but also accessibility, affordability and nutritional values.
The Speaker alluded that the compelling national drive to embrace agriculture at substantial level, Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, recently launched “Every Home A Garden Competition” which is aimed at promoting increased food production.
Likewise, the First Lady, inaugurated Young Farmers Club of Nigeria on September 17, 2024 with the induction of 240 of its members into farming. The induction is to catch them young by making farming more appealing and nurturing a generation that will transform agriculture, imbibe modern farming techniques and ensure that the country attains a sustainable self- sufficiency status in food production in line with the food security campaign of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Timubu, he concluded.