The Lagos State government says its development plan in agriculture is to move the present local food production from 18 percent to 40 percent of the State’s food demand by year 2025.
Abisola Olusanya, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture disclosed this while speaking at the closing ceremony of the programme where no fewer than 97 Senior Secondary School Agricultural Science students, Agricultural Science teachers and Education Desk Officers were trained at the Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority in Oko-Oba Agege.
According to her, the Programme, usually a two week event, is organized on an annual basis during the long vacation, for Senior Secondary School students offering Agricultural Science as well as their Agricultural Science teachers drawn from public senior secondary schools across the six education districts in the state.
“Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, this year’s programme is being held at the Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority, Oko-Oba, Agege, instead of the usual two-week residential on–farm Summer School training within the premises of the Agricultural Training Institute in Araga, Epe.
Olusanya who was represented by Hakeem Adeniji, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, stated that 84 Senior Secondary School Agricultural Science students and 13 Education Officials, including Education Desk Officers (Agric) and Agricultural Science teachers drawn from the six educational districts in the state, participated at the programme.
She asserted that each participant had undergone both theoretical training in livestock production, fisheries, crop production and agro–processing and practical training in the various value chains.
“The Agricultural Summer school programme was first implemented in 2011 to further stimulate the interest and awareness of students in agriculture.
“Since the inception of the Agricultural Summer School Programme in 2011 till date, no fewer than 642 students and teachers have participated in the programme, with 544 being students and 98 being Education Officials,” Olusanya noted.
Speaking further she stated that the Summer School Programme have enabled students to understand more about agriculture as a subject and they have been practically shown that agriculture, when well-managed, is a reputable and profitable business venture.
She stressed that the vision of the State as related to agriculture is sustainable food production, wealth and job creation through youth and women empowerment with significant private sector involvement adding that the State’s Development Plan in Agriculture is to move the present local food production from 18 percent to 40 percent of the State’s food demand by year 2025.