A SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, IBEJU-LEKKI LOCAL GOVERNMENT; HON. DR. ABDUL-SEMIU OLORUNKEMI SURAKAT ON THE OCCASION OF YEAR 2020 WORLD FOOD DAY CELEBRATION ON FRIDAY 16TH OCTOBER, 2020. The Vice Chairman, The Leader of the House All Exco Members, All Legislative Members, The Acting Council Manager, The Management Staff, Royal Fathers, Gentlemen of the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen. I feel highly honoured to stand before this respected gathering to deliver a speech on this Year 2020 World Food Day Celebration. The World Food Day is celebrated yearly around the world on 16th October in honour of founding of the food and agriculture organization of the United Nations in 1945. The day is widely recognized by many other organizations concern with food security including the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). All member countries of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) including Nigeria participate annually in the events which focus primarily on the state of food security raining awareness on the issues behind poverty and hunger and effort of different sectors to meet its challenges. The Year 2020 edition theme is “Grow, Sustain, Nourish Together”. The event is celebrated in Lagos State with a week-long set of activities which includes:- Press Briefing Tuesday 6th October, 2020. Road Walk Thursday 8th October, 2020 School Agric Quiz Competition Tuesday 13th October, 2020 All Farmers Forum/Ofada Rice Day Wednesday 14th October, 2020 Fadama Farmers Appreciation Day Thursday 15th October, 2020 Grand Finale Friday 16th October, 2020 However, the theme for this year is a call to awakening particularly, what the country faced this year 2020 during heat of Corona Virus (COVID-19) Pandemic. It is an high time to encourage farming in our land. Together will can grow, sustain and nourish in this state to avert future scarcity of food. This is going to be a collaboration effort between the Government and the farmers. To solve the problem of unemployment and food scarcity which is the major problem in the land, the following points need to be considered:-
- Encouragement of young farmer’s Club/Association to fill the vacuums being created by ageing farmers even to the secondary school level.
- Discouragement of leaders from selling out farm land. Some part of our land should be set aside for farming activities.
- Encouragement of warehouse for preservation of goods and agro-allied processing which could leads to exportation as a form of business opportunity.
- Government support to the farmers as a means of motivation.
- Provision of more markets.
- Provision of motorable road / good road networks.
On this note, it is pertinent to appreciate the effort of the Lagos State Government for encouraging sustainable food production, wealth and job creation through youth and women. The private sectors cannot be left out, their involvement in agriculture of paramount important in the development plan of agriculture, be it in the area of food production and agro allied processing. In conclusion, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who out of their busy schedules made out time to attend this year 2020 world food day programme. I will also like to enjoin all stakeholders to take not of all the points raised at the programme and work towards their actualization. I hope to see every one of us back and better at the next year programme. I wish every one of us journey mercy to his/her respective destination. Thanks and God bless you. #Igbega Ibeju-Lekki... Ajumose wa ni ooo#Hon. Dr. Abdul-Semiu Olorunkemi Surakat Executive Chairman Ibeju-Lekki Local Government, Igando-Oloja.