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Tag: Prince Gbolahan Lawal

  • Asbestos not good for roofing, says commissioner

    The use of asbestos in roofing is not ideal because it causes cancer, Lagos State Commissioner for Housing Prince Gbolahan Lawal has said.

    “Few years ago, Lagos State Government stopped the use of asbestos for ceiling because of its carcinogenic effect; we now use PVCs (plastic) in our estates and buildings. Asbestos ceilings are carcinogenic, it causes cancer and if you have it in your house you should try and change it,” Lawal told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday.

    Lawal called for mass enlightenment on the use of asbestos in public and private buildings.

    The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an intergovernmental agency and a part of the World Health Organisation (WHO) with its headquarters in Lyon, France, classifies asbestos as “carcinogenic to humans,” based on its ability to cause mesothelioma and cancers of the lung, larynx (voice box) and ovaries.

    Lawal said the state was exploring other alternatives and innovations on the use of cheaper available local raw materials to bring down the cost of houses.

    On the Green Building Initiative, the commissioner disclosed that the state was partnering with Echostone, an international eco-friendly construction firm, to develop its affordable homes initiative.

    He explained that the method ensured that 40 per cent of carbon footprints were reduced in line with global climatic change initiatives.

    To address its housing deficit of over two million, the state, Lawal said, introduced a technology which ensures construction of a bungalow within 48 hours.

    The technology, he said, was already being used in its housing estates at Idale in Badagry and Imota in Ikorodu to achieve the government’s target of delivering 2,000 houses.

    “We want to see how to go into the manufacturing of homes, we make it seamless and produce about 100 units in a month. We have three companies, one is already at site; it is going to take 48 hours to put up a bungalow.”

    Lawal said a new housing policy aimed at tackling the state’s housing deficit had been drafted.

    “It is taking us more than 14 months to design the housing policy. That policy will be like a framework, like what we are going to be following and it is not going to be like a knee jack response,” he said, describing the policy as a template or roadmap that will regulate the operations of the ministry.

     

  • World Bank spends N75b on agric in Lagos, others

    World Bank spends N75b on agric in Lagos, others

    THE World Bank has spent about $380 million (about N75, 240,000, 000) on agriculture in Lagos and some  other states in the last eight years, the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, has said.

    Speaking to reporters yesterday in Alausa, Ikeja, he said the $200 million Fadama grant was accessed by six states while the $180 million was accessed by five states, including Lagos.

    Lawal said $180 million was spent on Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP) while $200 million was spent on National Fadama Development Project (FADAMA).

    He explained that Lagos was  selected among six others to benefit from the $25 million grant from the World Bank through the Federal Government for this year because of the performance recorded.

    The commissioner added that about 3,000 birds were killed during recent onset of bird flu in Lagos State, saying about 2,000 birds were killed in one farm, 500 birds each in two other farms.

    He also said 10 birds were also killed in a zoo on the Lekki axis, affirming that there is currently no incident of bird flu in the state.

    Lawal added that most of the food requirement of the state is currently being met  through food importation from other state.

    “At the end of 2014, our internal production has been 10 per cent which is an increase of seven per cent from three per cent  in Pre-2007,” he said adding that the target of Lagos is to hit 25 per cent by 2018.

    According to him, the asset base of cooperative societies in Lagos state is now N60 billion and that there are about 6, 500 cooperative societies in Lagos out of which only 2, 700  have been revalidated and confirmed active

  • Lagos to sanitise cooperative societies

    Lagos to sanitise cooperative societies

    The Lagos State government has said it plans to sanitise cooperative societies in the state. It said it will soon start a revalidation exercise of cooperative societies in the state as a starting point.

    Its State Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, said Area Officers from the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives are already positioned for effective monitoring of activities of cooperative societies. Also, as part of the measure, the number of Area Offices for monitoring has been increased from 15 to 20 so as to effectively and efficiently capture the societies.

    “Every year, all cooperative societies now have to come for validation. This will enable us to know existing societies and those that are not; and those illegal ones will be taken out,” Lawal explained.

    He also explained that efforts to boost food security in the state have led it to join in the commemoration of the World Food Day, slated for October 16.

    He said 3, 000 farmers will be empowered by the state government as a means of stimulating interest in food production for the state’s residents. These categories of farmers will include but not limited to food processors, fishermen, marketers, and others. When properly articulated, Lawal said the initiative will enable the State attain its 2018 25 per cent target for food self sufficiency.

    “We have given out forms to our cooperative societies. There is no way we can produce enough food for the 22 million Lagosians, but we shall continue to increase our self sufficiency level. We have a target of reaching 25 per cent by 2016. We are sensitizing farmers and even going beyond Lagos state to get arable land. We started from five per cent and now its 10 per cent and then we move to 25 per cent by 2016. We cannot do it alone,” he said, adding that the state has been able to secure arable land in other neighbouring states for interested farmers.

    He said for instance, Lawal disclosed that Oyo State is giving the state 2, 000 hectares of arable land; Osun 1, 000 hectares, and Ogun 500 hectares for a start. He therefore charged farmers to see the ministry as partners to support them at all times because agriculture is now the way to go.

    Earlier, Lawal had undertaken an inspection tour of the secretariat and multi-purpose building of the Lagos State Cooperatives Federation (LASCOFED), currently under construction. Although he commended the federation for their effort on the building, he however charged them to speed up work on the project.

    Its President, Mr. Oriyomi Ayeola, said so far, N136.3 million has been spent on the project and blamed the slow pace of work on the reluctance of co-operators to pay the N200 project levy for the project.

    Ayeola said the estimated two million co-operators in the state had responded timely for the levy, the project would have been long completed. He regrets that presently, the Federation has no structure that is befitting to be called the secretariat, unlike what other African countries’ cooperative federations have. He listed the benefits inherent in the project to include a 20 and 25 per cent discount on rent for co-operators and societies respectively when using the facility.

    He said: “We are appealing that you use your good office to help us ensure that this money gets to us on time.”

    Lawal, therefore, directed the Permanent Secretary in the ministry to find a means of making co-operators pay the N200 levy for the project.

  • Lagos Agric-Yes summer school graduates students

    Lagos Agric-Yes summer school graduates students

    CORES of students at the weekend graduated from this year Agric-summer program.

    The programme which was organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, is geared towards broadening the minds of students and stimulate their interest through intensive agricultural programs.

    The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, while addressing the student said the programme is a laudable step towards achieving the noble objective of engaging the youth and empowering them through agriculture.

    Represented by the ministry’s Director of Agricultural Services, Dr. Olayiwole Onasanya, the commissioner said the benefit of the Agric Summer School is in provide technical skills necessary for career and professional development opportunities for teachers and students through the practical agricultural literacy awareness and orientation.

    Commending the efforts of the Ministry of Education for its partnership on the programme, Lawal further revealed that the Agric Summer School has trained 240 students in the last four years, with the participants carefully selected randomly from the six educational districts in the state to make up the 60 students per year that would participate in the program.

    He added that this year’s set of participants have been equipped with essential rudiments of farming, which will enable them to contribute to the overall development of the agricultural sector in no distant future.

    He also advised the participants to take active interest in agriculture, a sector he noted, is a multi-billion business that any professional can venture into.

     

  • ‘Lagos poultry industry generates N44.88b’

    ‘Lagos poultry industry generates N44.88b’

    The poultry industry generates about N44.9billion yearly, the Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, has said.

    Lawal, who addressed a press conference with the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, said the industry produces 48 million crates of table eggs per annum, 14 million kilogrammes of broiler meat, two milliom cockerels, one million turkey birds and six million hatchable eggs.

    He said the government is determined to ensure constant supply of poultry products, adding that this is essential for the industry to grow, prosper and become economically stable.

    He said the state government has initiated a number of programmes and projects to support the industry. He listed some of the programmes to include the Agricuktural Youth Empowerment Scheme (Agric YES) in Araga, Epe where over 300 youths have been empowered, producing about 50 million eggs per annum from 150,000 commercial laying birds.

  • Lagos raises agric vote from N50m to N2b

    Lagos raises agric vote from N50m to N2b

    THE Lagos State government has increased its budget for agriculture from N50 million to N2 billion to ravamp the sector, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, has said.

    Lawal,who spoke through the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, Dr Nuruni Funsho, at the launch of the Lagos Business School(LBS) Agribusiness Management Programme(AgMP), said the hike showed government’s commitment to promoting production in the non-traditional sectors.

    Lawal said the government voted the amount for agriculture in order to achieve food security .

    He said there was also enhanced funding for ongoing programmes, such as the World Bank assisted Commercial Agriculture Development Project and the National Fadama 111 development project.

    The state, he said, focused on food security with agriculture, poultry and fisheries as the core areas.

    Lawal said there are also plans to cultivate more rice, and expand aquaculture.

    On the fisheries, he said there were plans to develop large-scale, commercial fish farms and enhance the quality of meat for the domestic market.

    A senior faculty member at LBS, Prof Chantal Epie, advocated strengthening the capacities of managers of agric businesses to enhance wealth creation potential of the sector.

    The programme,she said, sought to provide high quality business, management and leadership education to stakeholders.

    The keynote speaker, Mr Kola Masha, said unemployment would not be eradicated without according priority to agriculture.

    Masha, Managing Director of Doreo Partners, said with a growing population Lagos should increase volumes of agricultural commodites.

    Masha said supporting capacities in agri business would lead to improvements in crop yields, adding that significant additional farmland would be needed

    The Head, AgricFinance, FirstBank, Mr Ndubuishi Ihedigbo, urged entrepreneurs to commit more human and financial resources to food security challenges.

    He said investment plans, supported by adequate financing would enhance the participation of small farmers in food production.

    Ihedigbo challenged agro entrepreneurs to ensure the operational effectiveness – and consequently the viability –of agroindustrial micro-enterprises.

    Director, AfricaRegion, Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (C:AVA), Dr Kola Adebayo said, the sector requires efforts of the government and the private sector to provide Nigerians with high-value agricultural products .

    The government, he said, must understand the constraints that traders, agro-businesses and processing firms face and, see how policies can be adjusted to create an enabling environment for growth.

    A faculty member at LBS, Dr Larry Osa-Afiana, said a crucial element in the development of the sector was access to finance, particularly bank loans.

    He said credit guarantee schemes and other forms of subsidised financing play a major role in agric financing and compensate for the low level of personal funding sources available to agric business operators.

    Osa-Afiana said banks still considered the lack of adequate information the most important deterrent to their involvement in agri businesses.

    Former President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria(ICAN,Mr Emmanuel Ijewere, urged the financial industry to invest in the agric sector.

    Ijewere,who is also the Chairman, Agric and Food Security Commission, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, said many farmers were still feeling the economic woes of past years.

    Finance, he said, was the major constraint of farmers,adding that many farmers were turned down by their banks for loans they needed to keep their farms running.

    According to him, banks are still giving loans to farmers on high interest rates.