Lagos State Government and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO-UN) have signed a 200,000 dollars Unilateral Trust Fund Agreement (UTF) for development of coconut value chain.
Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, signed the agreement on behalf of the state government, while the Country Representative of FAO, Dr Fred Kafeero, signed for FAO.
The event took place on Friday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lagos State Government is contributing 150,000 dollars while FAO is supporting with 50,000 dollars for the project.
Olusanya said at the ceremony that the project would run for the next six months, with FAO providing technical and financial assistance for the inception/value chain analysis phase of the intervention.
Olusanya described the agreement signing as epoch-making.
She said that the significance of the event could not be overemphasised as it underscored the commitment of the administration of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu in restoring the pre-eminence of coconut as the foremost cash crop in the state.
She noted that the commitment was evident in the prominence given to the crop in the official crest of the state, as it served as pillars of support and protection for the other contents of the state’s crest.
The official said that the FAO-UN’s interest had been demonstrated in the provision of technical and financial assistance for the inception/value chain analysis phase of the intervention.
She noted that FAO-UN was networking with other international donor-agencies with interest in environment, food security and agro-industry such as United Nations for Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) for the implementation of the next phase of the intervention.
She said that they would bring expertise and funds to fully unleash the potential of the coconut sub-sector of agriculture in Lagos State.
In his remarks, Kafeero commended Lagos for being the first state to create a unilateral trust fund in the country, saying that it had set an example for other states.
He said that FAO was committed to working with Lagos State Government for the development of the value chain, adding that it had agreed to provide technical assistance.
He said that FAO would expose the state to happenings in other countries with regard to coconut.
“We saw that we have a comprehensive picture of the situation; we have to develop a strategy that will take us to where we want to go in the next 10 years.
“To do that, we need current information for us to plan better.
“The inception phase is largely for backlogs – collecting information about the value chain, looking at production gaps, deficiencies in the processing, the technologies currently used, involvement of stakeholders, market issues.
“For this phase we are talking about, the FAO has agreed to provide technical assistance, carry the state government along, get experts that you need.
“We will expose you to what is happening in other countries with regard to coconut and then discover the area that fits where we want to be as Lagos,” he said.
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