The Lagos State Government has announced plans to roll out the second phase of the ‘Ounje Eko’ Farmers’ Subsidy Programme before the end of November to support farmers and enhance food production across the state. The initiative aims to ensure farmers have access to quality feed and inputs, helping to stabilise food prices and sustain agricultural productivity.
The announcement was made by the Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, during a press briefing at Alausa, Ikeja. She described the programme as a key intervention of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration, designed to strengthen food systems, empower local farmers, and cushion the impact of rising production costs, particularly during the festive season.
According to Olusanya, the first phase of the programme, launched earlier this year, recorded remarkable success, benefiting more than 5,000 farmers. Under the initiative, 993.3 metric tons of poultry feed and 265.65 metric tons of fish feed were distributed, supporting the production of 258,000-layer birds and yielding over seven million eggs, as well as 177,100 catfish. The commissioner noted that this intervention helped reduce egg prices from ₦6,000 per crate to between ₦5,000 and ₦5,400.
Building on that success, Governor Sanwo-Olu has approved the implementation of the second phase, which will broaden the scope to support more farmers across different value chains. The new phase will feature a 25 per cent subsidy on poultry feed (layer mash, broiler starter, and finisher) and fish feed, free distribution of grains to pig farmers, and the provision of agricultural equipment and inputs to crop farming clusters to promote mechanisation and reduce manual labour.
The programme will be implemented across 10 locations in the state, including Farm Service Centre, Agege; Agricultural Training Institute, Araga; Epe Coconut House, Mowo; Badagry Fish Farm Estate; Odongunyan and Erikorodo Poultry Estates, Ikorodu; Aiyedoto Poultry Estate, Ojo; the Ministry of Agriculture Cooperative Office, Ajah; and the Armed Forces Resettlement Centre.
Participation will be open only to registered and recognised farmer associations such as the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter (PAN-LAG), the Lagos State Catfish Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria (LASCAFAN), and Farm Estate and Settlement Associations to ensure transparency and accountability.
The commissioner encouraged unregistered farmers to join relevant associations to benefit from the initiative, emphasising that the programme underscores Lagos State’s ongoing commitment to food security, sustainable agriculture, and farmer empowerment.
