The Chairman of Badagry Local Government, Mr Olusegun Onilude, on Friday, distributed free agricultural inputs to 300 farmers in the council. Onilude, speaking shortly before distributing the inputs, said the initiative was part of his administration’s plans

The Chairman of Badagry Local Government, Mr Olusegun Onilude, on Friday, distributed free agricultural inputs to 300 farmers in the council. Onilude, speaking shortly before distributing the inputs, said the initiative was part of his administration’s plans to drive food security by supporting famers to boost productivity.

“My farmer support programme has to do with food security in the council through input and materials distribution to local farmers,” he said.He urged the beneficiaries to make the best use of the inputs they received for the overall development of agriculture in the local government.
Onilude urged civil servants and youths to cultivate the habit of farming.

“Everyone should be involved in farming, if you have a small backyard, look for sacks or plastic and plant some things that you needed.

“This will make one to eat well. So, everyone should farm, you don’t need a plot of land for you to farm.

“There is a need for all to collectively embrace farming including the civil servants and our youths,” he said.

The chairman said the council would embark on a massive development of 4.93 hectares of land for cultivation during this current farming season and after.
Onilude added that the council would start its food discount market programme in a few weeks, where the council would subsidy 25 per cent all food items.
Mr Taiwo Towolabani, the Supervisor for Agriculture and Youths Development, urged the farmers to utilise the items judiciously and warned them against selling the materials.

Towolabani commended the council chairman for boosting farm produce in the council with his kind gesture.
Mr Tunde Hunpatin, the Chairman,Poultry Association of Nigeria, Badagry Zone, said his members would make good use of the poultry feeds given by the council.

“We shall forever be grateful to you for the kind interest, love and uncommon considerations you’ve been bestowing on our association.
Hunpatin prayed that the Lord would continue to enrich the government with more people oriented programmes and prosper his administration to an enviable standard that would benefit mankind.

In his remarks, Alhaji Abiodun Oyelekan, the Chairman, Badagry and Lagos State All Farmers Association of Nigeria, enjoined Nigerians, especially the youths to embark on farming to make the country food sufficient.

“The essence of what we are doing here today is to ensure the people of Badagry and Nigerians understand the importance of farming and make sure we produce what we eat.

“This will help reduce the price of food in the market,” Oyelekan said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the agricultural inputs distributed to the beneficiaries include: knapsack 16-litre-sprayers, herbicides, rain-boot, fertilizer, pig feeds and poultry feeds.

Others are, coconut maize, and okro seedlings, generator pumping machines, vegetables seeds, fish feeds, and concentrates.