LASG empowers 680 youth fishermen with fibre glass boats

The Lagos state government has donated 34 fibre glass boats with outboard engines and other ancillary fishing equipment to cooperative societies of 680 youth fishermen.

Ms Abisola Olusanya, the Commissioner for Agriculture, made the presentation to the beneficiaries at the Agricultural Development Authority complex, Oko-Oba, Agege, on Wednesday.

Olusanya said that the empowerment was under the 2021 Agricultural Value Chains Enterprise Activation Programme, inaugurated by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu in July as part of the government’s commitment to supporting the fishery value chain.

She said that it was envisaged that the deployment of the fishing assets would create over 2,000 jobs in the upstream and downstream sub-sectors of the artisanal fisheries value chain, as well as to produce 4,531 metric tonnes of fish annually.

Olusanya said that each cooperative group comprising 20 members each would receive a boat.

She noted that the ministry was also partnering with Ecobank and Old Mutual Assurance, to provide banking services, track cash flow in the business and aid fleet expansion for the fishermen.

The commissioner said that the partnership was aimed at monitoring the activities of each cooperative group to ensure that they make judicious use of the equipment.

“Today, we are distributing the fibre glass boat to 34 cooperative groups free of charge, under the 2021 Agricultural Value Chains Enterprise Activation Programme.

“We need to monitor your activities to ensure that you utilise the equipment very well and also expand and increase the number of your fleet with the support of the financial institution.

“The banks are here to plan your business and  increase opportunities for the generations to come.

“We want you all to grow your business and become multinational companies. We don’t want people to come from Japan, Netherlands and other foreign countries to talk about fish more than our people from the local fishing communities,” she said.

The commissioner further said that banks have been phenomenal and have helped to develop business models that would be suitable for the fishermen.

“We did not collect a kobo from any group or person to benefit from this empowerment. The governor has paid for everything and our job is to distribute and ensure that they are judiciously utilised,” she said.

Olusanya recalled that the governor had on July 29, flagged off the distribution of agricultural inputs and productive assets to over 3,000 farmers, fishermen and marketers drawn from various value chains across the state.

She noted that though the fibre glass boats, outboard engines and other ancillary fishing equipment were ready for distribution at the flag-off ceremony, it was delayed for some reasons.

There was the need to ensure that it was handed over to the fishermen that were ready to utilise the fishing assets, under a strict business mindset, to achieve the set objectives of the activation programme, the commissioner said.

She further said that series of engagements were held with the leadership of the Lagos State Fishermen’s Association, to validate the list of beneficiaries and secure their buy-in on how to operationalise the scheme.

The commissioner said the meetings were to  make beneficiaries incorporate a savings culture, as part of the implementation of the scheme to ensure its sustainability.

The Head, Agriculture Desk, Ecobank Plc, Mrs Moji Oguntoyinbo, said that the bank was delighted to partner with the state government on the fisheries value chain.

Oguntoyinbo said that it was an intentional action for the bank  to partner with Lagos state, due to its coastal region with a lot of opportunities in fisheries.

“We have seen Lagos state as a coastal region with a lot of opportunities in fisheries and we are delighted that the government has picked us as a focus in food sustainability to start development in this sector.

“Today, we are very delighted to be a partner on this laudable project.

“This is an intentional investment and incentive to fishermen in Lagos, to promote this sector to the extent of making it possible for fish production and exportation, in the very near future, from the state.

“This is very laudable for us and we are delighted that this will be a role model plan and action that we will also try to replicate in other coastal regions of Nigeria.

“Lagos is always taking the lead and we are delighted to partner with you on this project,” she said.

The bank official urged the beneficiaries to be consistently focused to ensure that the project would continue to revolve and would be extended to many more beneficiaries in the nearest future.

Also, Mr Adekunle Fasasi, President, Lagos State Fishermen Cooperative Society commended the government for its continuous support and empowerment to the value chain

Fasasi noted that in the whole of Nigeria, Lagos state was first in terms of fish production and promised to increase its number with the new empowerment.

“Lagos is a coastal region, we have oceans and seas and it is important that we take advantage of this for economic benefits.

“I am particularly happy that this initiative is focused on the youths, because these are the people that will take over from us aged fishermen.

“I, hereby, implore the youths to make the most of this opportunity. Do not take it with levity because it is a free gift,” he advised.

The cooperative president urged the farmers to use the property as if they paid for it and prayed that God would continue to give  them wisdom and strength needed to be better fishermen.” he said. (NAN)