A 200 capacity community poultry facility is being established at Isheri by the Lagos State government as part of the measures to upscale the production of poultry products in the drive for food security in the state.
Muslim Folami, the commissioner for local government and community affairs disclosed this on Thursday, during a media briefing to mark the third anniversary of the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration. The government came into office in May 2015.
According to Folami, the poultry farm will commence operations in the second quarter of this year, ending June 2018. He said this was also in the efforts to positively engage the locals and create job opportunities for farmers in the Isheri community.
Folami said already, the Vegetable Farm in Isheri which was mainly an open field system had been upgraded to a Green House system to produce ‘fruity vegetable’ particularly Habanero pepper starting from the second quarter of the year.
On effort to upscale fish production, the commissioner said a locally formulated sinking feeds was being produced at Lagoon Replenishment Centre/Hatchery located in Badagry, for sales to fish farmers in communities around Badagry while a commercial fish hatchery has also been proposed for the Centre to support local fish farmers in the area.
Meanwhile, Folami has advised residents of the state to desist from locking down their streets with iron gates, warning that the government would not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law against defaulters.
“There is a law in Lagos State against indiscriminate installation of street gates. We are not saying you should not have gates in your streets but those gates should be manned 24 hours.
“The reason we are opposed to the practice of keeping gates perpetually locked is that there may be emergencies, there may be fire outbreak. A pregnant woman can fall into labour anytime and would want to go to the hospital. If you lock the gates what happens? We have had cases where some pregnant women died because the gates were closed.
“There were so many incidents of fire outbreak and the streets could not be accessed to put out the fire. We will not fold our hands and allow such things to happen. Henceforth, anyone found guilty would be punished,” Folami said.
Folami, who restated the commitment of the state to the development of the grassroots, called for the support of the citizens to fast-track the process.
JOSHUA BASSEY
