L-R: General Manager, Agricultural Land Holdings Authority, Mr Oladapo Are, HRM, Elejirin of Ejirin, Oba Rafiu Isola Babatunde, Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, Beneficiary, Mr Michael Onafowora of Odele Family and the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Olatokunbo Emokpae during Cheque presentation to Nine Traditional Land owning Families of Igbodu, Epe on Tuesday.
Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture has presented N37.5million as crops compensation to traditional land owning families of igbodu village, Epe, on Tuesday at Johnson Agiri, Agricultural Complex, Oko Oba, Agege.
The programme was organized by the Lagos State Agricultural Land Holdings Authority (ALHA) for presentation of cheques to beneficiaries.
The State Commissioner Ministry of Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya said that the acquisition of land was not just for the monetary value but also create of jobs in the Environs.
She said that the acquisition land program is tend to make Lagos State a food production hub, a catalyst and purveyor of modern agricultural system with a dynamic structure that promotes favorable farming in order to reduce poverty in line with promoting sustainable development goals of 2030.
She further said that the facilitation of this noble and laudable scheme would also help in preventing encroachment by land speculators and increase the morale of beneficiaries farmers leading to boost in food production.
Ms. Olusanya also said that the compensation program would bring synergy between traditional land owners and the State Government which would provide peaceful co-existence with the famers and residents while agriculture development would enriched the State.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Olatokunbo Emokpae, said that State Government established Agricultural Land Holdings Authority (ALHA) an Agency under the purview of the Ministry of Agriculture, saddled with the responsibility of managing and administering land designated Agricultural Land in the State.
“In order to maximize the limited land available in Lagos state for agricultural production to feed over 21 million residents in the state, there is need to effectively manage the available lands for food sufficiency.
She further said the Agric land holdings authority officers have painstakingly worked to capture the rightful owners of the land and have properly enumerated the crops on the land in order to ensure that all stakeholders are fairly compensated.
“This event is a demonstration of the good will and commitment of the present administration under the leadership of Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-olu as one of the THEMEs agenda to good governance and equity among her citizens.
General Manager, Lagos State Agriculture Land Holdings Authority, Mr Oladapo Are, said that State Government in two years has paid land owners over 70 million, 37.5 million 2022 and 38million in 2021.
The Beneficiary families are Seelu family, Luparo family, Apena Asumoru Oliwo Ogunseye family, Odele family, Elias Ogunlaja families, the George Ilori families, Oluwose families, Bakare Ogunfowora families and Omo Erelu families.
