LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT REFUNDS 145 FORMER SUBSCRIBERS OF EGAN HOUSING ESTATE
admin By Oyebola Owolabi
Two hundred women have been selected in Lagos State to participate in the nationwide farming competition for female first-time farmers, an initiative under the Renewed Hope Initiative of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Tagged ‘Every Home A Garden’, the winner will take home N20 million.
Wife of the governor Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, at a seminar organised for selected participants, said the state would deploy all resources to ensure the winner comes from Lagos.
She said: “We are being prepared like a boy scout, and we know we will emerge victorious. The decision to limit the number of participants to 200 is for ease of coordination, while participants are between five and 70 years.
“This competition, aimed at promoting home farming, comes at a crucial time when food prices are soaring. Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, believes that embracing home farming will bring much-needed relief to many Nigerians.
“The competition will culminate in December, when the overall winner across the 36 states of will be announced.”
Mrs. Sanwo-Olu said since the competition was announced, ‘Lagos State has taken deliberate steps to ensure due process is followed in line with the criteria issued by the Office of the First Lady of Nigeria’.
She noted that the seminar marked a significant milestone as part of measures to ensure Lagos complies strictly with guidelines and also comes out overall winner.
The 200 participants were selected from a total of 1,052 applications. And of this 200, 94 are from Ikeja; 36 from Badagry; 38 from Ikorodu, 17 from Lagos Island and 15 from Epe.
Commissioner for Agriculture Ms. Abisola Olusanya noted that households do not necessarily need to go to farm settlements to grow some of the food they require.
“It is important for you and your children and family, start to grow something, no matter how little. The onus lies on us to take responsibility to grow something that you can be proud of yourself at the end of the day,” she said.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy Gbenga Omotoso said more people who would have been considered for participation were disqualified because they lacked necessary documentation in the state database, particularly the Lagos State Residents Registration number.
He urged those seeking to reside in Lagos to enroll in the database, saying it was critical for security, planning and policy decision-making.
