The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has urged beneficiaries of the state’s Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Support (APPEALS) project to put their training and subsequent support from the project into productive agricultural use.
Hamzat advised the beneficiaries to ‘’access the grant element of the project by developing viable investment plans that will not just make them agro-preneurs but also employers of labour.”
The Deputy Governor stated this yesterday at the graduation ceremony of Batch 1 of the 1,620 beneficiaries of the Women and Youth Empowerment Scheme (WYEP) of the project at the Lagos Agricuture Institute, Araga, Epe.
Hamzat, who was represented by the Chairman, Epe Local Government, Mr Adedoyin Adesanya, explained that the APPEALS project was aimed at supporting farmers’ productivity.
He told the beneficiaries, “You being here today as beneficiaries of APPEALS project women and youth empowerment programme is a major feat after being selected out of the over 7,000 applicants for the available 1,700 slots.”
He stressed the significance of the beneficiaries availing themselves of the many opportunities the project offers by coming up with viable business plans that would see them move up the ladder in agric-entrepreneurship.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Gbolahan Lawal, said the main thrust of the APPEALS project was to increase productivity and production, as well as improve processing and marketing of the target value chains to foster job creation.
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