SANWO-OLU LAUNCHES MARKET PALLIATIVE SCHEME, GIVING N50,000 CASH SUPPORT TO 15,000 LAGOS TRADERS.

A new palliative programme for low-income traders in the State’s local markets was introduced by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Sunday as part of efforts to lessen the impact of the present economic conditions.

Lagos Market Trader Money was launched by the Governor, and in its initial phase, it will give 15,000 struggling traders in the State’s 57 Local Government Areas grants of N50,000 to support their businesses.

In order to maintain the food supply chain, Sanwo-Olu unveiled the plan in Idi-Oro, Mushin, where he was joined by cabinet members and Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, the Deputy Governor, to inaugurate a recently built middle-level Fresh Food Agro hub.

According to the governor, 200 community market leaders from each council were asked to submit nominations; the list included small markets. He said that starting on Monday, or tomorrow, the Ministry of Agriculture would handle the payment of funds to recipients.

He declared: “We have developed an intervention for all low-income market women and men who are struggling to maintain their micro and small businesses during this time as part of the measures to cushion the effect of the current economic realities.” We are introducing Lagos Market Trader Money today as a temporary solution to assist vendors in our neighbourhood markets.

“The State Government will provide N50,000 in support to the first 15,000 beneficiaries. Big market traders are not eligible to participate in this scheme. The 200 names that community market leaders from each of the 57 local councils will submit must be distributed among the 10 markets in each domain. In addition, the market leaders Iyaloja and Babaloja will individually choose an extra 50 recipients apiece.

According to Sanwo-Olu, the programme will be expanded to include markets in police and military barracks, which would result in 750 people receiving the support grant.

Another significant step towards achieving his administration’s goals for achieving food security, according to the governor, was the opening of the middle-level Fresh Food Agro Market in Mushin. The first of its kind in the State, he emphasised, the facility marked a revolution in the way food is distributed in Lagos and the modernization of the city’s existing markets.

In 2021, the Sanwo-Olu administration started building the Central Logistics Park and Food Security Systems in Ketu-Ereyun, Epe, as part of a roadmap for a coordinated food security and distribution network in Lagos. The middle-class markets in all Local Government Areas will be catered to by this central hub.

The Governor revealed that plans were in motion to build three of these markets in Agege, Ajah, and Abule Ado. The State Government intends to establish fifty middle-level agro hubs.

In an effort to enhance Lagos’ current market system, which was plagued by waste, post-harvest losses, traffic jams, and logistical inefficiencies that frequently led to the loss of more than 50% of perishable agricultural produce, Sanwo-Olu claimed that his administration had implemented the food system transformation initiative.

The official commissioning of a middle-level Agro Produce hub in Idi Oro, Mushin, according to him, is another step in the right direction towards accomplishing our goals for food security. This facility marks a revolution in the State’s food distribution system as the first of its kind. Our fervent dedication to enhancing food production, processing, and marketing is reflected in our five-year Agricultural Food System Roadmap, which serves as the foundation for this transformational journey.

Establishing connections with the private sector, financial institutions, foreign investors, and multilateral agencies, as well as direct intervention and strategic collaboration are all facilitated by the roadmap. The last mile food distribution outlets, the mid-level agro-produce hub, and the central logistics hub make up our food system. Addressing the core issue of the food supply systems is crucial given the inefficiencies seen in the current market system.

The middle-level Fresh Food market maximised wet and dry food storage to reduce losses and waste, according to Commissioner for Agriculture Ms. Abisola Olusanya. Additionally, she said that the facility had addressed the unhygienic way that vendors displayed their food items while enabling customers to take advantage of economies of scale and purchase large amounts of fresh farm produce at competitive prices.

Customers will be able to shop for fresh agricultural products in a secure setting that meets their needs thanks to this new experience. Governor Sanwo-Olu is leading the way in developing this sustainable model of food production and supply. The Commissioner stated, “This is the best course of action for us as a nation to guarantee that food security is taken seriously.

Alhaja Taibat Borokinni, the Iyaloja of Mushin, led traders to the Governor to express their gratitude for the market’s completion and the palliative plan.

“Today is our turn to reap the rewards of our governor’s commendable initiative to enhance our markets,” she declared. This is our way of saying “thank you” for the governor. We have never looked back on our choice, and we will continue to back further efforts aimed at improving the lot of market men and women.

Hon. Toyin Fayinka, the member for Mushin Federal Constituency 2, expressed gratitude to the Sanwo-Olu for seeing the market project through to completion. He claimed that Mushin was the first council to implement the governor’s vision for food security.

“This serves as a wake-up call to other Local Governments to support the State Government’s agenda for food security by giving projects like this a chance in their jurisdictions,” stated Fayinka.