Lagos State Gov’t To Train 150 People in Honey Production

Lagos State government says it is set to train about 150 women and and young people in the business of bee-keeping and honey production, packaging and marketing.

State Commissioner for Agriculture,

Abisola Olusanya State Commissioner for Agriculture, made this known in Alausa, Ikeja, at a news briefing to mark this year’s World Bee Day.

Ms Olusanya said interested women and youths would be undergoing a week-long intensive training on the value chain from Monday, May 30, to Friday, June 3.

According to the Commissioner, trainees will be empowered with beehives, bee suits, smokers, harvesting knives, bowls and kegs, which will enable them to start on an easy footing.

She pointed out that the move is in line with the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration’s commitment to empowering women and youth for economic prosperity in line with THEMES Agenda.

It would also boost local production of honey, check adulteration and improve the entire honey value chain in Lagos and Nigeria, she explained.

“As we all know, the most valuable and economically important product from bees is honey which is used in most homes nowadays, in replacement for sugar,” Ms Olusanya reminded her audience.

“Another important product derived from bees is the wax used to make wood and leather polishes, candles and additives in artist’s materials while it is also used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Honey bees are important for food, medicine, and other economic benefits in agriculture.”

According to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the consumption of honey is valued at about N36.8 billion.

The consumption rate is put at 380,000 metric tons as opposed to the production rate of 15,000 metric tons.

This shortfall is augmented by imports from Europe and Asia, thus resulting in a hike in price of imported honey and other hive products, due to the dollar/naira exchange rate, Ms Olusanya said.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the contribution of honey-associated pollination accounts for between $235 billion and $577 billion of global food production.

Today, bees are endangered due to habitat loss (deforestation and de-vegetation), pesticides, bacteria and other anthropogenic reasons. These have necessitated the theme of this year’s World Bee Day: “Bee Endangered: Build Back Better for Bees”.