By Ayomide Otitoju
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has commissioned the Mid-Level Agro-Produce Hub in Agege as part of efforts by his administration to strengthen food security and improve food distribution across the state.
The hub, built on 7,000 square metres of land at Pen Cinema, Agege, is the third facility in the state’s network of mid-level agro-produce hubs, following similar projects at Idi-Oro, Mushin, and Abijo, Ajah.
Speaking at the commissioning, Sanwo-Olu said the facility was designed to create a more efficient farm-to-table supply chain, reduce the role of unnecessary middlemen, minimise food spoilage and lower costs for consumers.
He said the network of agro-produce hubs would reduce food supply chain costs, cut post-harvest losses and create employment opportunities for residents.
According to the governor, Lagos’ growing population and reliance on food produced outside the state require a transformation of the entire food supply chain, from production and aggregation to logistics, processing and distribution.
Sanwo-Olu said more than 70 per cent of food consumed in Lagos is produced outside the state, exposing consumers to transportation costs, post-harvest losses, storage challenges, supply disruptions and price fluctuations.
He said the administration’s Lagos State Food Systems Transformation Agenda was designed to address these challenges and build a more sustainable and reliable food system.
The governor also disclosed that work on the Lagos Central Food Systems and Logistics Hub at Ketu-Ereyun, Epe, was at an advanced stage and would be completed before the end of his administration.
He said the flagship facility would feature cold and dry storage, processing and repackaging centres, quality-control laboratories, warehouses, logistics bays and digital trading platforms.
According to him, the Epe hub is designed to handle more than 1.5 million metric tonnes of food annually and service over 1,500 food trucks daily.
Sanwo-Olu said the state was also developing additional mid-level food hubs to complement the central facility, with projects underway at Opebi and Bombata and planned locations in Ikorodu, Apapa, Festac and the Lekki axis.
He said the government’s long-term objective was to establish structured food hubs across all Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas in Lagos.
The governor also highlighted the Produce for Lagos Programme, launched in July 2025 alongside the N500 billion Offtake Guarantee Fund, saying the initiative was designed to connect farmers with organised and guaranteed demand in Lagos.
He said the programme would address farmers’ challenges of financing and market access, reduce distress sales and encourage increased investment in agricultural production.
Sanwo-Olu added that more than 125,800 farmers and fishermen had been trained in modern agricultural practices under his administration, while over 4,000 young people had been equipped through the Lagos Agripreneurship Programme.
Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, said the Agege hub could accommodate major food value chains worth up to N5 billion.
She said wholesalers and bulk dealers would supply food items directly to retailers at the hub, reducing the need for small-scale traders to travel elsewhere to source products in small quantities.
Olusanya added that traders would have access to secure storage and professionally managed facilities, including sanitation, water supply and waste disposal services.
She said the project, developed in partnership with Origin Tech Group, would improve food distribution, reduce post-harvest losses and provide better insight into Lagos’ largely informal food distribution system.
The Chairman of Agege Local Government Area, Vinod Obasa, commended the state government for the project, saying it would improve access to fresh farm produce and create employment opportunities for residents.
The Agege Fresh Food Hub features dry stores with a capacity of about 800 tonnes and cold storage facilities capable of holding approximately 300 tonnes of food.
The facility also includes modern trading floors, fisheries and aquaculture facilities, a dedicated seafood section, vehicle parking spaces and 10 electric vehicle charging points.
