By Ayomide Otitoju
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called on stakeholders to strengthen efforts towards ensuring access to safe, nutritious and affordable food, while promoting agricultural development and building resilient food systems.
Sanwo-Olu made the call on Friday at the grand finale of the 2026 World Food Day celebration, themed “Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow,” held at the Nigeria Police College, GRA, Ikeja. He was represented by his deputy, Kadri Obafemi Hamzat.
The governor noted that Lagos, despite being Nigeria’s smallest state by landmass, has a population of more than 22 million, making food security a major priority.
He said the state must maximise available land, strengthen partnerships with other states, expand local food processing and improve distribution systems to reduce post-harvest losses and ensure efficient delivery of food from farms to households.
Sanwo-Olu said the state government’s five-year Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap aims to increase food self-sufficiency from about 20 per cent to 40 per cent of demand.
He explained that the strategy includes a three-tier distribution network comprising the Lagos Central Food Security Systems and Logistics Hub, mid-level agro-produce hubs, and last-mile distribution and retail networks.
According to him, the initiative is designed to reduce unnecessary intermediaries and food waste while bringing produce closer to consumers at competitive prices.
The governor disclosed that the Central Food Security Systems and Logistics Hub at Ketu-Ereyun, Epe, was at an advanced stage, while two mid-level agro-produce hubs had been commissioned at Abijo, Ibeju-Lekki, and Dairy Farm, Agege.
He added that construction was ongoing at Opebi, Ikeja, and Bombata, Lagos Island, to strengthen food distribution across the state.
Sanwo-Olu also highlighted the Produce for Lagos initiative, which connects participating farmers to structured offtake arrangements at agreed prices, supported by a ₦500 billion Guarantee Offtake Fund.
He commended farmers for their contributions to the state’s food economy and urged stakeholders to sustain efforts towards food security beyond the current administration.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Abisola Olusanya, said the state government had invested in agricultural production, processing, logistics and market development over the past seven and a half years.
She said initiatives such as Eko Logistics, Produce for Lagos and the ₦500 billion Offtake Guarantee Fund were designed to connect farmers, processors, traders and consumers across the food value chain.
Olusanya acknowledged that some projects were still ongoing and would require sustained investment, calling for continued collaboration to improve food production, distribution and affordability.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Oluwarotimi Fashola, described food security as essential to national stability.
He said the state government remained committed to strengthening food security despite Lagos’ limited landmass, noting the relationship between food inflation and the country’s overall inflation rate.
Fashola also urged residents to patronise local farmers by purchasing locally produced food, stressing that collective action was necessary to achieve sustainable food security in the state.
