Sanwo-Olu commissions Agege agro-produce hub, targets food security in Lagos

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has commissioned a Mid-Level Agro-Produce Hub at Pen Cinema, Agege, as part of efforts by his administration to strengthen the state’s food supply chain and improve access to affordable and safe food.

Sanwo-Olu, who spoke on Wednesday at the commissioning, said the facility was part of the state’s broader Food Systems Transformation Agenda designed to address the challenges of food production, aggregation, transportation, storage, processing and distribution.

The governor said Lagos, with a population of more than 25 million people, remained Nigeria’s largest food market, noting that more than 70 per cent of the food consumed in the state was produced outside its borders.

According to him, the dependence on food supplies from outside Lagos exposes consumers to high transportation costs, post-harvest losses, inadequate storage, supply disruptions and price volatility.

He said the administration therefore adopted an approach that went beyond increasing food production to transforming the entire food system.

“Feeding Lagos is not a production challenge alone. It demands the transformation of the entire food system,” Sanwo-Olu said.

He explained that the Agege facility was designed to bring modern food infrastructure closer to communities while shortening supply chains, reducing unnecessary layers of intermediation and improving the handling and distribution of agricultural produce.

The governor said the Agege hub was the latest addition to a network of mid-level agro-produce facilities being developed across the state.

He recalled that the Fresh Food Hub in Mushin was commissioned in December 2023, while another hub in Abijo was commissioned earlier in 2026 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the Mushin facility had recorded transactions worth more than N4 billion across 228 market days, with over 850 registered vendors and more than 7,000 direct and indirect jobs created since its commissioning.

He said the achievements demonstrated that modern market infrastructure could improve farmers’ incomes, reduce post-harvest losses, create employment and strengthen local economies.

The governor also disclosed that construction was progressing at agro-produce hubs in Opebi and Bombata, while additional locations had been identified in Ikorodu, Apapa, Festac and the Lekki axis.

He said the long-term objective was to establish structured food hubs across all 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas of the state.

Sanwo-Olu further highlighted the role of the Produce for Lagos Programme, launched in July 2025 alongside the N500 billion Offtake Guarantee Fund, in providing farmers with guaranteed access to the Lagos market.

According to him, the programme represents a shift from a supply-driven to a demand-driven agricultural model by enabling farmers in Lagos and partner states to produce against organised demand.

He said the initiative would help address the twin challenges of financing and market access, reduce distress sales and encourage increased investment in agricultural production.

The governor said the state’s food security strategy was also being supported by investments in human capital and agricultural skills development.

He disclosed that more than 125,800 farmers and fishermen had been trained in modern agricultural practices, while over 4,000 young people had been equipped through the Lagos Agripreneurship Programme to build careers in agriculture.

He added that the Lagos Agric Scholars Programme was promoting interest in agriculture among students in more than 440 secondary schools across the state.

Sanwo-Olu also cited the Lagos State Butchers Academy and the Imota Rice Mill as components of the administration’s efforts to modernise the food system.

He said the Imota Rice Mill, described as the largest in Africa, produced more than 250,000 50kg bags of Eko Rice in the past year, including the newly introduced Eko Fortified Rice, enriched with vitamins and minerals.

The governor said the various initiatives were interconnected components of a single strategy aimed at moving food efficiently from farms to aggregation centres, markets and ultimately consumers.

On the Lagos Central Food Systems and Logistics Hub at Ketu-Ereyun, Epe, Sanwo-Olu said the flagship project was at an advanced stage and would be commissioned before the end of his administration.

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He said the facility, equipped with cold and dry storage facilities, processing and repackaging centres, quality-control laboratories, warehouses, logistics bays and digital trading platforms, was designed to become the largest food logistics hub in Sub-Saharan Africa.

According to him, the hub is expected to service more than 1,500 food trucks daily and handle over 1.5 million metric tonnes of food annually.

Sanwo-Olu said the network of food infrastructure was intended to create a more resilient food system capable of serving the needs of Lagos’ growing population.

He urged traders, farmers and aggregators who would operate at the Agege facility to take ownership of the infrastructure and ensure its success.

The governor formally commissioned the Mid-Level Agro-Produce Hub, Agege, and expressed optimism that it would create prosperity for traders, better returns for farmers and access to fresh and affordable food for residents.

“May this Hub bring prosperity to the traders who will work here, better prices to the farmers who will supply it, and fresh, affordable food to every family it serves,” he said.