Lagos State urges boosted agricultural research to tackle food insecurity and support farmers with timely innovations and adaptive solutions

Lagos State has emphasised the need for boosted agricultural research to address food insecurity and the challenges facing farmers, officials announced during a recent steering committee meeting of the South-West Research Extension Farmers Input Linkage Systems (REFILS).

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The two-day meeting, held at the Lagos State Agriculture Cooperative, Oko-Oba, Agege, brought together stakeholders from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti, alongside representatives from research institutes, universities, agricultural development programmes, and policymakers.

Speaking on behalf of the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Emmanuel Audu, said the event aimed to review progress made in 2025 and evaluate ongoing research and extension activities across the region.

“Effective agricultural extension ensures that innovation reaches the farmer on time, making results practical and inputs efficient,” Olusanya said.

“But extension cannot stand alone; it must be backed by continuous research that is localised, adaptive, and responsive to farmers’ challenges, such as climate change, soil degradation, and climate variability.”

LSADA Programme Manager Toju-Tubi Aderonke highlighted the importance of the REFILS platform as a critical mechanism linking research, extension, and farmers.

“Over the years, our steering committee meetings have provided a platform for reviewing past activities, identifying gaps, and planning interventions that drive agricultural growth,” she said.

The Executive Director of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Prof. Gabriel Oluwatosin, added that the meeting sought to ensure research outputs are relevant and adaptable to real-world challenges, enhancing both productivity and sustainability across the South-West agricultural sector.

Also read: Escalating Food Insecurity Crisis: 33 Million Nigerians Face Acute Hunger in 2025 Amid Economic Woes and Conflict

The Lagos State Government reiterated its commitment to supporting farmers with timely innovations, resource-based solutions, and a robust research framework to secure food production and strengthen the agricultural value chain.