Lagos’ll Use Cooperative Societies To Accelerate growth- Fashola

Lagos State Gover

nor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has said that his administration will use the vehicle of cooperative societies to accelerate the growth of the state.

A statement from the state Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives on Wednesday quoted the governor as saying that he was aware of the tremendous growth in membership of the cooperative movements in the state and that the government was focused on using them as vehicle for growth.

The governor, who was represented by the Head of Service of Lagos State, Mr. Adesegun Ogunlewe, at the 2011 International Cooperative Day, said the theme for this year’s celebration, “Youth, the Future of Cooperative Enterprise,” was an acknowledgement of the various youth empowerment projects and programmes implemented by his administration.

He said that his administration had put emphasis on youth development to foster peaceful succession and continuity of the economic and political future of the state.

Fashola emphasised that notable among the programmes were the agriculture-based Youth Empowerment Project, Rice for Job Programme, Farm Estate Initiatives and School Agricultural Programme.

He added that the empowerment programmes of the Ministries of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and Commerce and Industry, as well as the Green Lagos Campaign, would reduce unemployment in the state.