Hardship: Lagos Govt, Business Group Partner On Food Security

Business Group, Ogbonge-Small scale Women Farmers Organisation of Nigeria (SWOFON) in partnership with Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture has held a three-day fair to promote food security to tackle current hardship in the country.

The nongovernmental organisation established to support and train women to better the families and society, welcomed dozens of business women to showcase their produces and wares in the agricultural and entrepreneurial Trade Fair, noted that the group made up of five hundred women has keyed into the agenda of the state Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to make food available and cheaper.

The fair held at the LTV 8 ground, in Ikeja and has the theme, “Realising and Developing Potential in a Growing Economy’ organized a series of insightful panel discussions led by industry experts from various agricultural and business sectors.

The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Lagos State, Emmanuel Audu commended Ogbonge-SWOFON for keying into the state government’s agricultural and food security plan.
Audu urged the women group not to relent in their resolve to provide food for the society as their name, ‘Ogbonge’ which means resilience.

The president of Ogbonge SWOFON, Chinasa Asonye said, “We celebrate not only the vibrant spirit of entrepreneurship and agriculture but also the remarkable milestone of our 10th anniversary. This decade of dedication and hard work has brought us here, and we are incredibly proud to share this momentous occasion with all of you.

“The fair held in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture aligns perfectly with the government’s objectives to alleviate economic challenges, providing a beacon of hope and prosperity.
Our organisation can leverage the immense opportunities provided by this gathering. It is designed to boost income, gain visibility, and foster a spirit of collaboration among various businesses.

“Our slogan for this event, ‘Shinkini money, buy plenty’ encapsulates the essence of what we aim to achieve. We believe this initiative will not only support our community but also stimulate economic growth within Lagos State.”

The chairperson of the Ogbonge-SWOFON Trade Fair, Mrs. Titi Olopade, urged all women to venture into agricultural businesses across the value chain as it has a wealth creation potential for us as Nigerians. Olopade who is a trained labour unionist, opined that Nigeria is at the threshold of an agricultural business renaissance, as the presidency had shown this in its economic development plan.’’