Chinenye Anuforo

It is no gainsaying that Lagos State is the economic capital of Nigeria and the entire West African region. The opportunities afforded many who reside in the city centre are enormous. With a GDP of $136bn as at 2017, which is higher than 42 other African countries, Lagos is conservatively estimated to consume at least N3bn worth of fresh agricultural produce daily.

Figures from the state government show 8,000 heads of cattle are slaughtered daily in Lagos abattoirs as at 2018, with 15.96 million 50kg bags of rice consumed annually. Vegetables, fruits and other less expensive agro consumables gulp more on a daily basis. However, farmers who are the primary source of this produce, are schemed out of the gains in the business. By transporting produce from rural areas in the exterior part of Lagos and neighbouring states, middlemen make all the gains, leaving farmers who toil day and night poorer.

To bridge this gap, deepen opportunities and promote prosperity for Lagos farmers based on their competitive advantage, the Lagos State government, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has launched a new platform to connect farmers and those involved in agribusiness with the urban Lagos market. The state government, through the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, launched its maiden Market Linkage Initiative tagged Eko City Farmers Market (ECFM), which connects local farmers to local buyers in an urban and modern setting.

The maiden edition, which held at the Tafawa Balewa Square on Sunday, February 23, 2020, afforded Lagosians the opportunity to buy fresh farm produce at farm gate prices, in a serene, clean, and beautifully arranged stalled environment. Fishermen from the coastal communities scattered across the state brought their catch. Different types of fresh and live fishes were displayed for sale. Cow meat sellers also slaughtered some heads of cattle. In fact, analytics showed they made the highest sales.

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Of note are the cassava farmers who sold unprocessed cassava as well as produce of processed cassava in their numbers. Lagos, a dominant south-western state, is a melting point for several tribes and cultures and this was reflected in the diverse set of farmers (142 in all) who participated, the customers (771 in all) who made a purchase and the kind of produce and products that were traded.

Sanwo-Olu’s Eko City Farmers’ Market was also an opportunity for the Lagos State government to show that its partnership with the Kebbi State government was paying off. Bags of Lake Rice were on display, with each customer only able to buy five bags for fairness and equity. A bag of 25kg sells for N8,500, while a 50kg bag sells for N17,000, an amount far lower than other brands of rice in the same category, which goes for as high as N25,000 for a 50kg bag in the market.

Also, fresh perishable fruits and vegetables like watermelon, banana, spinach, greens leaves, carrots, oranges, onions, green pepper, hot chili and tomatoes, all of the highest quality, were sold at friendly prices to customers. The governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the event by his deputy, Dr. Femi Hamzat, reiterated that the Eko City Farmers’ Market would hold every last Sunday of the month. He also noted that the initiative was conceived to offer greater market access to farmers and agribusiness men and women such that the initiative would encourage more farmers and other new entrants into the sector thus creating more jobs and opportunities for Lagosians.

“In the next few weeks, we would open our online marketplace, thus connecting farmers and buyers in real time. Buyers will be able to find any farmer of their choosing and buy directly from them. Our administration will continue to leverage contemporary solutions to provide the best of its kind market linkage services,” the governor declared.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, stated that the idea of the Eko City Farmers’ Market had it origins from the outcome of the stakeholders’ summit the ministry held on September 11, 2019, wherein the issue of agricultural produce market and facilitating market linkage for farmers featured prominently in the discussions and, subsequently, the communiqué that emanated from the summit.