Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has inaugurated the Agege Fresh Food Hub as part of efforts to strengthen food security and improve the distribution of food across the state.
Sanwo-Olu said Lagos’ food economy was valued at more than 1.6 trillion naira, while over 75 per cent of food consumed in the state was produced outside Lagos. He stressed that food security required more than increased production, calling for better aggregation, transportation, storage, processing, financing and distribution.
The governor said the Agege facility was part of a wider network of modern food hubs being developed across Lagos to connect farmers, processors, logistics operators, traders and consumers. He said the hubs would help reduce food losses, improve market access and create opportunities across the agricultural value chain.
He added that the state was combining infrastructure development with human-capital initiatives, including the Lagos Agripreneurship Programme, which has engaged more than 4,000 young people, as well as agricultural programmes in schools.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, said the Agege hub occupies about 7,000 square metres and features a 4,000-square-metre trading floor, cold-storage facilities, rice and seafood storage areas, parking spaces and electric-vehicle charging points.
She said the facility was projected to facilitate more than 5 billion naira in food transactions and would support organised wholesale and retail distribution, storage, logistics and quality control.
Sanwo-Olu said the long-term goal was to establish modern food hubs across Lagos, stressing that government alone could not guarantee food security without the participation of farmers, private investors, financial institutions, logistics operators, traders, technology providers and communities.
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