Lagos central food systems hub will boost N14trn market — Commissioner

The Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, has said that the state government is in the process of completing a central food systems and logistics hub in Epe areas of the state, pointing out that the facilities, when completed, would help to boost the N14 trillion food market in the state.

Olusanya made this known on Tuesday during the ongoing ministerial press briefing to commemorate the second year in office of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, which took place at Alausa, Ikeja, saying that the facility would also serve over 1,500 trucks daily.

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The commissioner said the Lagos central food security systems and logistics hub represented a flagship project by the state government to modernize and secure the state’s food distribution ecosystem, noting that it was conceptualised as part of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s broader vision for agricultural and food systems transformation in the state.

“The Lagos Central Food Security Systems and Logistics Hub, represents a flagship project by the Lagos State government to modernize and secure the state’s food distribution ecosystem. Conceptualized as part of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s broader vision for agricultural and food systems transformation.

“The hub is designed to serve as a central, data-driven, and technologically integrated complex for food aggregation, storage, processing, and distribution.

“Upon completion, it will stand as the largest food logistics hub in Sub-Saharan Africa. It will feature facilities to service over 1,500 (40mt) trucks daily and is expected to boost the N14 trillion food market in Lagos,” she said.

“With expected completion of Phase 1 within the next few months, it will be a game changer in the Nigerian food sovereignty plan, considering the emulation of Lagos as a pioneer as seen recently in the adoption of the project by other states. Upon completion, Lagosians can anticipate an impactful reduction in food prices due to integrated facilities like cold and dry storage, a 14,000-capacity abattoir, and a jetty for streamlined goods transportation,” she added.

Speaking further, Olusanya said the project was structured as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) under a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-and-Transfer (DBFOT) model to ensure long-term sustainability and professional management of the facility.

According to her, the logistics hub occupies approximately four million square meters (400 hectares) of land, saying that the first phase alone covers 100 hectares, which once fully developed, the facility “is expected to handle the storage, processing, and timely distribution of over 1.5 million metric tonnes of food annually.”

The commissioner explained that the hub would generate over five million income opportunities across the agriculture and logistics value chain, from farmers and transporters to retailers and cold chain operators, assuring that it would guarantee uninterrupted food supply to over 10million Lagos residents for at least 90 days during emergency or lean periods.

The logistics hub will guarantee uninterrupted food supply to over 10 million Lagos residents for at least 90 days during emergency or lean periods, reduce food transportation costs and post-harvest losses, which currently account for 30–50 per cent of total food losses in Nigeria.

“Beyond its immediate function as a food distribution center, the hub is fast becoming a model for other Nigerian states and West African cities.

“It will serve as a foundation for the development of satellite food hubs across the 57 Local Government/council development Areas of Lagos, integrating rural and peri-urban food systems with urban consumption patterns,” she stated.

This was just as the commissioner disclosed that a Middle Level Agro Hub is currently operating at Idi-Oro, Mushin “where food valued at N2, 641,709,989 had been traded, saying that three additional Mid-Level Hubs had been identified at Ikorodu, Festac Town and Lekki Phase 1.

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