ibironkeeniola Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has reiterated the new administration’s commitment to harnessing the benefits of the World Bank-initiated intervention fund tagged Agro-processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) project.
Speaking while receiving the World Bank’s delegation, led by its Task Team Leader, Dr Adetunji Oredipe, in Lagos, the deputy governor reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that the project designed to benefit 300,000 youths and farmers is properly implemented.
While giving the assurance that the government would implement as the benefit is significant, Hamzat emphasised that the state government would not allow bureaucracy to stifle the project.
He explained: “APPEALS is in line with the Federal Government’s plan to diversify Nigerian’s economy and this would assist farmers through access to funding, as well as women and youth.”
He appealed to the World Bank team to see Lagos as a national and not a sub-national entity as the state hopes to interact with the bank.
Oredipe disclosed that the APPEALS is a $200 million intervention fund that targets agro-processing, productivity enhancement and livelihood improvement among youths, women and farmers.
Noting the unique advantage of the state, owing to its location and market opportunities, the task team leader disclosed that some farmers, groups and communities had been identified to benefit from the project being implemented in six states across the federation.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN