The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso has confirmed that the state would open 50 emergency markets in public schools.
He said the emergency markets are to bring the food centres nearer to residents in different parts of the state following the closure of some markets in the state.
Omotoso said, “We are opening 50 new markets in public schools that have been shut down. The idea is that if you ask people not to congregate and they need food, where do they go to? Even though we have said some of these markets should not be shut down.
“So, we are trying to create new markets in neighbourhoods and we are discussing with farmers associations that have keyed into the idea. The Commissioner for Agriculture is on top of it and they are going to open the market this weekend so that farmers can bring food directly to those places and people will get such items cheap without going long distances. We are going to use schools that have closed down now.”
The governor had at the forum with NECA said some of the schools would be allocated to FMCG companies for them to erect stands to sell essential goods to people who could not go to malls to buy their daily needs.
Following the decision of some state governors to restrict movement into their states, Sanwo-Olu was also quoted to have said at the forum with NECA that he would contact the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, to use his good offices to intervene.
He said he would call the NGF chairman to prevail on other governors to allow trucks of FMCG companies delivering essential raw materials and products supplies free passage into and through their states.
On the demand by the NECA representatives that the state government should consider tax break for companies and citizens due to increased cost at this time, the governor said it was being considered by the state government.
He added that government was setting up centres across the state in Yaba, Onikan, Lekki, Gbagada and that the target was to achieve 2,000-bed capacity by the end of March.
He pointed out that government was setting up three test centres with capacity to test 100 persons per day and that two were already functioning while work was still in progress in the third one.
