Lagos Govt Wants World Bank To Extend Agro Project

Lagos State government has appealed to the World Bank for an extension of the Agro-processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) project due to the impacts the project had on farmers’ productivity in the state.

The request was made by the  commissioner for agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, who disclosed that APPEALS Project in the state had empowered about 8,000 farmers, especially women and youths in the last five years.

Olusanya called for an extension of the APPEALS Project programme on Monday when World Bank and APPEALS Project representatives who were in Lagos for the 9th Implementation Support Mission to Lagos paid her a courtesy visit.

APPEALS project is a Lagos and World Bank-assisted project in conjunction with the federal government aimed at enhancing the agricultural productivity of small and medium-scale farmers and improving value addition along priority value chains – poultry, aquaculture and rice under the Lagos APPEALS project.

Speaking during the courtesy visit, the Commissioner assured World Bank and APPEALS Project National Coordinating Office representatives that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State government are ready to cooperate and do the needful for more farmers to benefit from the project if extended beyond the September 2023 deadline.