Lagos Residents Urged to Embrace Urban Farming for Sustainable Food Production
In a bid to enhance food security and promote agricultural practices, an agriculturist, Mr. Ibrahim Olayeni, has called on Lagos residents to adopt urban farming. Olayeni, a staff member of the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, made this appeal during a program organized by the Lagos State Muslims Community titled "Mosque Documentation in Conjunction with Market Convenience.
Urban farming, according to Olayeni, involves utilizing small spaces and limited resources in highly populated areas to practice agriculture and boost food production.
This innovative approach offers numerous benefits, including increased food production, job opportunities, and efficient use of available spaces. Additionally, urban farming has the potential to attract young people to farming activities, fostering learning and innovation in modern agricultural practices.
Olayeni highlighted the suitability of various crops for urban farming, including leafy vegetables like Soko, Tete, Ewedu, Spring Onion, and Lettuce, as well as fruit vegetables like tomatoes, pepper, carrot, onion, okro, pepper, cabbage, and yam.
To promote urban farming, Olayeni encouraged communities to form cooperatives and register with relevant government agencies and ministries to access recognition and benefits. He also advised residents to seek guidance from agricultural training centers in Lagos State, such as the Farm Service Centre, Oko Oba, Agege; Agric. Training Institute, Araga, Epe; and Agric. Training Institute, Avia, Badagry.
Other speakers at the event emphasized the importance of urban farming, community organization, and proper land documentation. Alhaji Adele Sanni, Convener of the program, urged Muslims to purchase foodstuff in bulk to alleviate food hardship, while Muslim scholar Alhaji Tajudeen Uzamat stressed urban farming's potential to assist the government in reducing food hardship.
Alhaji Olawale Ojikutu, Director with the Lagos State Land Bureau, advised Lagos Muslims to obtain proper land documentation for their mosques and personal properties to avoid future forfeiture.
He cited the example of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) purchasing and documenting land for the second holiest mosque in Medina, emphasizing the importance of proper documentation.
The Lagos State Government has extended an amnesty for mosque committees to approach the appropriate ministry for documentation, facilitating a smoother process for obtaining necessary documents.
By embracing urban farming, Lagos residents can contribute to sustainable food production, enhance food security, and promote agricultural practices, ultimately benefiting the community and the state at large.
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