The Lagos State Government said it has started discussions with Niger State   about the development of agricultural commodity value chain.

According to the government, the discussion is aimed at ensuring food security and job creation for the two states and the country.

Ambode said this during a courtesy visit by the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Bello, to the Lagos House, Ikeja.

He said the Lagos-Niger partnership was aimed at producing 70 per cent of Nigeria’s rice requirements annually, as well as boosting the production of wheat, groundnut, maize, millet, sorghum and sugarcane, among others.

He said, “This relationship is visionary and it is also a pointer to the fact that the two states have decided to openly support the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We must look inward. We must start to reintegrate our economy in such a manner that we must not continue to import what we can produce and we must create a value chain where we have comparative advantage to do so.”

Bello said the discussion centered on how to explore the comparative advantage of the two states to the benefit of people in the country.

He said, “Our discussion centered on agriculture and how Niger State can partner Lagos State to boost agriculture to the benefit of both states and Nigeria.”

Azeez