Lagosians consume N3bn food daily- Ambode

… Says State’ll maximise comparative advantage to achieve food security

…Lagos in the forefront to boosting agro-business- Dangote

Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday said that investors willing to do business in the agric sector in the State can be rest assured of a ready market and returns on investment as the daily consumption of food items in the State is worth over N3billion daily.

The Governor, who spoke at the maiden edition of the Lagos Food Security and Exhibition Summit with the theme "Actualizing Sustainable Food Security in Lagos State: A New, Comprehensive Agenda', said his administration remains committed in its efforts towards maximising its comparative advantage in the sector to achieve food security.

He said Nigeria had no business resorting to importation to feed its citizens, adding that there was no alternative to achieving food security other than tilling the land and embrace best practices that will improve efficiency in the agricultural value chain.

The Governor said, “Our core policy thrust towards achieving food security is to maximize the comparative advantage of the State in agriculture and establish partnerships with other States of the Federation with comparative advantage in specific areas.”

Listing some areas of collaboration already activated, Governor Ambode said his administration has sealed a landmark partnership with Kebbi State Government for the development of agricultural commodities such as rice, wheat, groundnut, onion, maize and beef value chain, expressing optimism that the partnership can result in the supply of 70 per cent of the total national rice consumption.

“We have also acquired agricultural land in other neighbouring States of Ogun and Oyo as well as Abuja. Specifically, 500 hectares of farm land has been acquired for rice cultivation in Eggua, Ogun State, 84.7 hectares at Okinni in Oshogbo for oil palm processing, among others,” the Governor said.

He said the Lagos Food Security Summit and Exhibition was organized to bring together stakeholders in the Agricultural sector to proffer solutions to the challenges militating against the achievement of food security, noting that the success recorded in the last "Traffic Summit' that has eased the traffic situation in the metropolis can be replicated in the area of food security in the state.

He therefore said that in the wake of the economic challenges facing the country there was no better time for the nation to review its approach and the redirection of its energies to food production.

“Behind every dark cloud, they say, is a silver lining. One of the challenges the current economic recession has brought to the fore is the urgent need to develop a sustainable programme that will guarantee food security for our people. As a nation, in the past, we spent billions of Foreign Exchange on importation of food and food items many of which can be cultivated in our country.

“Our country is blessed with very good arable land and a climate that supports food production. We can achieve food security and create employment opportunities for our teeming youth if we put in place the right policies and incentives that will attract significant investment into the Agricultural sector,” he said.

Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Food Security, Mr. Sanni Ganiyu Okanlawon, noted that that the summit was being organized to institutionalize a food security framework that would guarantee sustainable food security for its growing population.

He said the summit was designed to realign emerging realities with new global trends on food safety, food processing, food storage, food handling, funding of agribusiness and agric insurance”, adding that it will attract major stakeholders from the Agricultural sector and academia, foreign and local investors, media, civil society and policymakers in government.

Earlier, Chairman of the Summit, Alhaji Sani Dangote, commended the Governor Ambode-led administration for leading being in the forefront in addressing the challenge of food security, saying that the State boasts of a large population with an economy ranked as the fifth largest in Sub-Saharan Africa, a bulging youth population and capital of the nation’s industrial base.

Nigeria In Microcosm: How Agege Became 2nd Home To Hausas - Part 1

No doubt, if anyone is familiar with the popular densely populated suburb of Lagos State known as Agege, they must have always been overwhelmed by the domination of Northerners most especially Hausas in the area. Little wonder what would have transpired ages back for the Hausas to take a second home in Agege? Think no further, by the time you read this write up to the last dot, you must have been accustomed with the whole circumstances that brought about the prevalence of Hausas in the nooks and crannies of Agege.

The fairly busy railway line in Agege cuts through the Hausa community, popularly known as Zango Agege. Obviously, the mood of daily life in parts of Zango in Agege closely resembles the far Northern part of Nigeria, and the story behind the name 'Agege' tells much about ties between the Hausas and Yorubas. Zango in Hausa language means convergence point/place for traveling Hausas. It is also a place cows are kept. This is Agege Lagos with Northern structure. Interestingly, the Yorubas call Zango as Sango Agege.

The community is made up of five parts and each part has a Ward Head. There is an Imam, countless Mosques, endless alleys as well as a big market, many houses and a huge population. This multilingual population can be found on both sides of the railway line. It is said that the train lines were already in place a hundred years ago.

History has it that the trains brought cattle from the North, and conveyed Kola nuts up north from the South West (Yoruba Land). There is a huge trading population in Zango Agege, and it is difficult walking along the path which runs by the side of the railway line. People trade right up to the edge of the busy path, and customers stand within this same place to make purchases. Hausa is the common tongue there, in fact you would think you are somewhere in the North, but you aren't. The feeling lingers, however. 

Moreover, the Hausa community of Agege is altogether an unforgettable place. A popular account states that the Hausa community of Agege produced the 200 men who formed the nucleus of what later became the Nigerian Army, the palace of Sarki Hausawa, Alh. Musa Abubakar - Leader of the Hausa community, is adjacent the railway line, and it is encircled by countless traders. 

An Hausa angle of the history of Agege revealed that the relationship between the Northerners and Yorubaland dated centuries ago. It was revealed that Agege has always been a stopover point for Hausa traders who are journeying onwards to places such as Ghana, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Togo and Cameroon. The Hausa traders exercise some rest in Agege before continuing on the trips. Thus, Agege began to function like a Zango, for Hausa traders who journeyed up to West African Neighbours to buy Kola nuts and return with same to the North.

After a while, the Hausa traders saw that the weather at Gonja, the Kola nut producing area of Ghana, was similar to that of Lagos, and so Kola nuts seed were brought and planted in the Agege area. This was meant as a simple test, but eventually, the Kola crop began to flourish. The new found treasure on Agege's soil apparently halted the Hausa traders' constant traveling to Gonja, Ghana. Thus, instead of going to Gonja to buy Kola nuts, they now stopped at Orile Agege to buy same, and this new Kola nut was thereafter named Obi-Gonja or Gonja Kola nut. That was how Hausas formally began to settle in the Agege area, much unlike the past when they were simply passing through on trading missions to other parts of West Africa.

You don’t need a lawyer to register your business – Bello Mahmud

Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Bello Mahmud on Thursday said the commission had taken steps to eliminate bottlenecks associated with registering a business.

 “We have reduced the cost of registering a business by 50 percent. You don’t need a lawyer to register your business for you anymore. You can ‎now do it yourself. The process is easy now,” he said.

Speaking at the second presidential economic communication workshop in Abuja, Mahmud said this was with a view to creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

He also revealed that the cost of registering a business had been reduced by 50 percent.

”You can now register your business anywhere at our offices in Lagos, Kano and Enugu.”

Earlier, Jumoke Oduwole, senior special assistant to the president on industry, trade and investment, outlined measures the government was to taking to create investment opportunities for the country.

According to her, one of the measures is‎ reducing the strictures to getting a Nigerian visa.

She said President Muhammadu Buhari was concerned‎ about the ranking of Nigeria as one of the most difficult countries to do business; hence he has set up a committee to come up with ways of making Nigeria business friendly.

LAGOS @50; Ikeja Division: Agege Take Lead Role -

Agege Local Government Area under Ikega Division will be cynosure of all eyes come May 27, 2017 when tourist and culture enthusiasts across the world covenrgee in Africa's most populous megacity to celebrate Lagos @50.
The division is leaving no stone unturned in preparation for the golden jubilee events. It recently held a colloquium to kickstart preparation towards the August event.
A member of Ikeja Division Local Organising Committee, and a Chairmanship Aspirant of Agege Local Government Area, Prince Adeniyi Jafojo in a chat with AgegePulse Magazine at a colloquium. Organisers revealed  that event was organized to  create awareness and sensitize the people of the division  revealed that Agege Local Government would take a lead role amongst Ikeja division,  tha comprises of Agege, Ikeja, Shomolu, Mushin, Alimosho amongst others with an array of hidden cultures and multiple identities in Lagos.
“You will see marvelous different cultural displays on the day. This Colloquium is just a tip of the iceberg, basically to tell people that we are planning to celebrate Lagos in Ikeja division style”.
Speaking on the significance of Lagos@50, Prince Jafojo said apart from the exhibition of Lagos rich cultures, tourism also takes centre stage due to the caliber of invited individuals and personalities across Nigeria and all over the world.
Foreign investors, and most Nigerians in Diaspora will bring their savings home to felicitate with Lagos, therefore we can authoritatively say celebrating Lagos at 50 would automatically bring investment into the state. The Hotels, restaurants, the stores and other business outlets would witness massive turnover during the celebration period.
On socio-economic development, the Agege APC Chairmanship Aspirant reiterates that the proceeds from the turnover would not go to Governor Ambode or the state rather it would go directly into the income of establishments, individuals and owners. A larger percentage of Agege population are entrepreneur and artisans, this indicates that the programme would come with colossal socio-economic activities that would turn into money for the people.
If you recalled that during Governor Ambode election campaign, he emphasized and promised to improve cultural and tourism activities of the state, the Lagos at 50 event is one of them. Last year, during the yuletide season the governor also organized One Lagos Fiesta which took place at Agege stadium. It was a special event which many people are still talking about till date. Moreover, Lagos at 50 event would further water the cordial relationship between the diverse ethnicities living in Lagos. Hence, ease the survival tension that anyone who wishes to relocate to Lagos might be having. Lagos is peaceful, Lagos is loving and accommodating. The event would be a total improvement on the annual Lagos carnival celebration.