FG, foreign partners visit Lagos, understudy market system

The Federal Government in collaboration with Agence Française de development (AFD) and SEMMARIS (the Technical partner) have carried out an inspection tour of markets in Lagos State.

A statement by Nike Sodipo, Assistant Director (Public Affairs), Ministry of Agriculture, said the initiative was to understudy “Our market systems in order to support the government of Nigeria with a one – year technical assistance program for the establishment of National Agri-food Market Development Strategy for the country.”

The statement added that the Technical Assistance would define the strategic orientations of the Nigerian policy on the development of wholesale markets for fresh produce in urban areas with the aim of creating a methodology for the modernization of wholesale trade to supply major cities and peri-urban areas while structuring the Nigerian agri-food value chain.

“The visit to the state, according to the team, was in furtherance of the bid to study the food value chains in Lagos thereby helping to reduce food spoilage, promote food storage and preservation, guarantee food security, greater returns for farmers and investors in the agro-allied sector

“Recall that the Lagos State Government as part of its food systems transformation agenda has commenced the construction of a Central Food Security Systems & Logistics Hub on a 120Ha parcel of land at Ketu-Ereyun, Epe area of the state. The project was borne out of the need to address the food spoilage, storage and processing challenges and with focus on ensuring food traceability.

“The visit which was in line with the tripartite agreement earlier signed between the Federal Government, AFD, and (the technical partner), SEMMARIS also involves a one-year study which will run from Q1 2023 to Q1 2024, with a particular focus on the three largest urban consumption areas and will look at the whole value chains market ecosystem from rural to urban corridors in Nigeria namely: Lagos-Ibadan, Kano-Kaduna, and Onitsha-Port-Harcourt.

“The visiting team comprising of representatives of SEMMARIS (the technical partner), Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development-(FMARD) and AFD were received by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs. Olatokunbo Emokpae. They include Timothee Witkowski, International Project Manager, Rungis Marche International; Stephen P Allen, Food Sector Strategist, Jofreco International Limited; and Christian Idahota, Head of Field Operations, AGRAMONDIS.”