By Fatima Saka
The Traders Association in Badagry and Members of the Lagos State Coconut Sellers has appealed to the state government to upgrade the Agbalata Coconut Market to a modern market.
Speaking, Mr Amos Gbeliho, the Chairman of the association made the plea during a meeting with representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO-UN/UNIDO) and the Lagos State Government on Wednesday in Badagry.
However, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the team was in Badagry to conduct a one month field survey for Coconut Value Chain Analysis as part of the on-going collaboration between FAO-UN/UNIDO.
The Lagos State Government and the FAO-UN had in November 2021, signed a 200,000 U.S. dollars Unilateral Trust Fund Agreement for the development of the coconut value chain.
Therefore, the collaboration is aimed at developing the coconut value chain, through accelerated production, processing, commercialisation and utilisation.
The agreement which will run for six months, will see FAO providing technical assistance for the inception/value chain analysis phase of the intervention.
According to Gbeliho, the present state of the more than 45 years old market, situated on an acre of land, was not befitting and needed urgent attention.
He also stated that the market was constructed by farmers through personal efforts and contributions, adding that the structure was becoming old and too small to accommodate the growing trade.
He further said that the market presently lacks basic amenities like toilet, office space, parking lots, perimeter fencing and security gate, adding that traders are exposed to security threats from miscreants.
Also, he listed other challenges confronting the crop to include lack of financial support, unproductive old groove, illegal levies, impoundment of goods by the Nigeria Customs Service, security and lack of capacity.
According to him, coconut business is a huge business that generates billions of Naira for the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) without adequate attention by government.
“This market was constructed over 40 years ago by farmers in Badagry, we have not received any support from government to develop the value chain.
”Whenever it rains, it is always a big problem for us, we will be running helter-skelter to protect the our coconuts because they do not like water.
“This is a multi-billion naira venture that needs federal and state governments’ support.
”We are appealing to the government to assist us with a modern market in Badagry. The volume of transaction in this market daily is over N50 million.” Gbeliho said.
He also emphasis that the government should be committed to reviving the old coconut plantation groove in order to boost production.
Mrs Adeola Akinrinlola, FAO-UN Country Officer, Abuja, who led the team said that he was in Badagry to collect data through key informant’s interviews, surveys, actor interviews, focus group discussions and analyses.
Akinrinlola assured that the team would visit coconut producing communities of the state, processors, marketers and other value chain actors’ locations in Lagos.
“We are here to assess the coconut value chain, carry out interviews and find out what the challenges are so as to make recommendations to the appropriate authorities.
“The FAO-UN and the Lagos State Government is collaborating on the survey. The outcome of this project will lead to a bigger project but we need information to do be able to do that.
“We want to know the challenges confronting the farmers, marketers, producers, processors and transporters,” she said.
Also speaking, Rahman Yusuf, a coconut trader and indigene of Badagry, said that coconut had continued to attract more people into the value chain.
He said that coconut sales would boost the state’s Internally Generated Revenue if properly harnessed.
Yusuf said that the market was one of the biggest coconut markets in Nigeria, adding that it remained a family trade which their children are so fond of.