LASG Urges Farmers to Embrace Agricultural Insurance for Sustainable Growth
Kehinde Adeleye
The Lagos State Government has called on farmers across the state to adopt agricultural insurance as a vital risk management strategy to safeguard their investments and ensure long-term sustainability in the sector.
The appeal was made by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, during a two-day capacity-building workshop organised by the Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority (LSADA) for selected farmers under the National Programme for Food Security (NPFS). The event took place at the Fresh Food Produce Hub, Idi-Oro, Mushin, on October 9, 2025.
Represented by the Director of Agribusiness, Mrs. Aramide Ganzalo, Olusanya said the workshop’s theme, “Strengthening Farming Communities Through Financial Management, Loan Repayment, and Agricultural Insurance: Transitioning from Simple to Mechanised Farming,” reflects the state’s resolve to empower farmers with the right tools for productivity, resilience, and business expansion.
“Agricultural insurance is designed for the benefit of farmers,” Olusanya stated. “Over the years, many have suffered significant losses, and the government has had to provide compensation. Rather than depending solely on government aid, insurance enables farmers to recover their losses through insurance providers. We insure our cars, not because we expect accidents, but as a safeguard farming should be treated the same way.”
The Commissioner further hinted that in the future, proof of agricultural insurance might become a requirement for accessing government support, stressing that prevention is better than cure.
“While it’s not mandatory yet, we strongly encourage farmers to embrace this safety net. It’s better to be insured and secure than to be vulnerable in the face of unforeseen events,” she added.
In her welcome remarks, LSADA’s Coordinating Director, Mrs. Aderonke Toju-Tubi, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening the agricultural value chain and supporting farmers across the state.
“This training focuses on building farmers’ capacity, improving financial literacy, and promoting sustainable practices through mechanisation,” she explained. “Educating farmers on financial management, loan repayment, and agricultural insurance will sustain credit schemes and foster trust between farmers and financial institutions key pillars for a resilient agricultural financing ecosystem.”
She added that farming remains a key driver of economic growth and the backbone of rural communities.
“This forum provides an opportunity to reflect, strategise, and empower farmers to thrive in today’s evolving agricultural landscape,” Toju-Tubi said.
Also speaking, the NPFS Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Mrs. Oluwatosin Ganzalo, highlighted challenges farmers face in accessing loans from commercial banks. She revealed that the state now disburses funds directly to farmer clusters under various enterprises to ease access to financing.
“The clusters utilise the funds and later return them to the apex body for redistribution. So far, over 5,000 farmers have benefited from the programme in recent years, with about 370 participants currently undergoing training,” she said.
The Lagos State Government reiterated that strengthening farmers’ resilience through financial education and insurance aligns with its broader vision of achieving a sustainable, food-secure, and prosperous agricultural economy under the #AGreaterLagosRising initiative.
