The Lagos State Government has reassured residents that necessary measures are being taken to address the rising cost of food items and other consumables in the State.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya gave the assurance recently at the end of the two-day retreat organised by the Ministry for Management Staff at the Orchid Hotels in Lekki.
She said that part of the measures in curbing the high cost of food in the metropolis was the recent Market Trader Money launched by the Governor in which #750m was distributed to 15,000 traders across the State.
According to her, the first Food Logistics Hub in West Africa being built in Ketu by the present administration would soon be delivered while work will soon commence at the three more Agro Food Hubs in Agege, Abule Ado and Sangotedo in addition to the one built in Mushin.
She explained that the first Agro Food Hub established in Mushin is gradually returning value for money spent on food items by residents in an ideal and clean environment.
Olusanya, however, urged residents to reflect on the caution issued by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu against hoarding and unnecessary increases in the prices of food items in the State.
On his part, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Dr. Oluwarotimi Fashola, who thanked the staff of the Ministry for their continuous support over the years, charged them to redouble their efforts in the implementation of government policies and programmes.
He was of the view that their commitment to the success of the Agenda of the Ministry was more important now due to the economic challenges confronting the country.
One of the Facilitators at the retreat, Dr. Adebowale Oyebade, who spoke on Wellness and Mental Health, said that around 450 million people around the world currently suffer from mental disorders while one in four people will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives.
She listed some factors responsible for mental disorders including worsening economic issues, increasing unemployment rate, kidnapping, insurgency and the influence of social media.
Dr. Oyebade, a staff of LASUTH, however, stressed the need for the participants to accord full priority to their health needs in order to give their best during official duty.
The medical expert also wants the government to ensure that more Nigerians are covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme since their purchasing powers have been eroded over the years.
On how to promote mental health, Dr. Oyebade advised the participants to engage in healthy habits, lifestyle, exercise, holiday from work as well as consumption of more water, fruits and vegetables.
During the interactive session, some of the participants said that one of the ways to solve the current high cost of food in the country was for the government to improve security around the farmlands as well as give more incentives to farmers.
They also called for increased collaboration among states in the areas of comparative advantage and improvement on the transportation network of food items from farmlands to the markets
