By Samuel
The Lagos State Government has revealed that is it set to unveil the Lagos Aquaculture Centre of Excellence (LACE) to fast-track local production of fish and other aquatic animals.
The initiative, worth N10 billion, will support the Federal Government’s move to end fish importation by 2022.
Governor of the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed this on Tuesday at the distribution of inputs and productive assets to 2743 farmers under the 2020 agricultural value chains empowerment programme.
The project will take the form of a Public-Private Partnership, according to the governor who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat
The aquaculture centre will also be sited at a 35-hectare land in Igbonla, Epe, Hamzat disclosed.
According to the deputy, the global COVID-19 pandemic had made the inauguration of the initiative imperative.
He said the project will see to the production of 2,000 tonnes of fish yearly by farmers under the Lagos Nucleus Farms (LANS) and also serves as an off-taker for fish farm clusters.
“The experience of the past few months during the lockdown occasioned by COVID-19 Pandemic has further reinforced the urgent need to expand the state’s food production base to meet such spontaneous increase in demand for food in the future
“In line with this realisation and to ensure sustained food production and supply in the State, we are establishing the Lagos Food Production Centres in Badagry and Epe
“The two centres will ensure the resuscitation, expansion, stocking of agricultural production facilities in various value chains and also develop Agro-Tourism centres in Lagos State Songhai project in Badagry and the Agricultural Training Institute, Araga, Epe,” he added.
Hamzat also explained that both centres will provide an avenue for the rehabilitation of agricultural production facilities in the state.