The Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya has stated that a 10,000MTPA (metric tonnes per annum) Coconut Husk Processing Factory is being proposed for Badagry under Public-Private Partnership arrangement this year 2021, adding that once the factory begins operation, it will generate 1,000 direct and more than 3,000 indirect employment opportunities.
The Commissioner disclosed this on Monday 25th January 2021 at the flagging off of the coconut shell art and craft training of not less than 1000 youths and women at the Farm Service Centre, Agege, Lagos under the “waste to wealth” programme being facilitated by the Lagos State Coconut Development Authority (LASCODA).
Olusanya, ably represented by the General Manager of LASCODA, Mr. Dapo Olakulehin, highlighted coconut expansion projects facilitated by the state government, adding that the state government is working towards possessing 10 million active and productive coconut trees for sustainable supply of raw materials to coconut based industries and increase the transactional capacity of the coconut value chain from the current N76 billion per annum to N350 billion per annum within the next five years
“This year, a 10,000MTPA (metric tonnes per annum) coconut husk processing factory is being proposed for Badagry under Public-Private Partnership arrangement. The factory when operational will generate 1,000 and more than 3,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities respectively. Discussion is also at an advanced stage with a private sector on creation of 10,000 jobs from the Eko Coconut Bread Initiative. In addition, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations visited Mr. Governor at the tail end of year 2020 with the objective of having an intervention mission on Coconut Value Chain Development in Lagos State,” she said.
The Commissioner further noted that the coconut shell art and craft training is a subset of the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture targeted at creating job opportunities and entrepreneurial empowerment to over 15,000 youths and women through agriculture-based skill development programmes.
She further said that the training will be conducted in 10 batches of 100 individuals per batch, stressing that it will be practical-oriented and successful trainees will be given the opportunity to be certified by the Entrepreneur Development Institute (EDI) under the auspices of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for accessibility of credit facilities for expansion of their trade.
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