By Kayode Olopade
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has launched the ‘Produce for Lagos’ Programme alongside a ₦500 billion Offtake Guarantee Fund.
The initiative, unveiled during a high-level ceremony at Lagos House, Ikeja, is aimed at ensuring food security, stabilizing prices, and unlocking economic opportunities across the agricultural value chain.
Speaking at the official launch, Governor Sanwo-Olu described the initiative as a “watershed moment” in Lagos State’s journey toward sustainable food systems.
“Lagos is Nigeria’s largest food market, consuming over 50% of the food traded in the Southwest. Yet, we lose nearly 50% of our food between harvest and the market due to poor storage and inefficient transportation,” the Governor noted.
“What we are doing here is creating a whole new agricultural ecosystem—one that combines policy, financing, infrastructure, and data.”
He highlighted the administration’s agricultural transformation journey that began in 2019, including the unveiling of the Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap in 2021, and the renaming of the Ministry of Agriculture to Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems in 2024 to reflect a more integrated approach to food security.
According to the Governor, the ₦500 billion Offtake Guarantee Fund will be managed through the newly established Lagos Food Systems Infrastructure Company (LAFSINCO) and will support farmers, aggregators, bulk traders, and logistics operators across Nigeria.
“This fund is not a subsidy,” Sanwo-Olu clarified. “It is an investment vehicle that will catalyze private capital, de-risk agricultural operations, and stabilize food prices.”
Noting that infrastructure is a key focus of the initiative, the Governor announced the deployment of 150 cold and dry trucks, the largest fleet of its kind in Nigeria, to strengthen food logistics in partnership with the private sector.
The Governor also acknowledged the role of Origin Tech Group in the development of the largest food logistics hub in Lagos, set to be commissioned in December 2025. He called for support and collaboration from other state governors, financial institutions, development partners, and stakeholders across the agricultural ecosystem.
“Let us rise together to feed this nation sustainably. Let us collaborate across borders, support and secure our food future—not just for Lagos, but for Nigeria,” Sanwo-Olu urged.
Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, described the programme as “a leap of strategy, not faith.”
“Produce for Lagos is not just a policy but a promise,” she said. “We are saying to our sister states: if you grow it, Lagos will take it—with dignity, structure, and guaranteed offtake.”
Olusanya recounted how Lagos had laid the foundation for this initiative through previous interventions such as the Lagos Agripreneurship Programme, Ounje Eko Discount Markets, and the Lagos Agric Scholars’ Programme.
She emphasized the importance of building a sovereign food system that rewards farmers, traders, and transporters, and reduces food wastage.
“This is the justice demanded of us by the tomato farmer in Zaria, the pepper trader in Mile 12, and the millions who sleep hungry not because we lack food, but because we lack systems,” she said
.png)
No comments:
Post a Comment