Lagos targets N16.14trn food economy via mega infrastructure push, reforms

By Adeola Ogunrinde

Lagos State Government has intensified efforts to transform agriculture into a multi-trillion-naira economic sector through major infrastructure projects and market reforms aimed at strengthening the state’s estimated N16.14 trillion food economy.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, disclosed this on Friday during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, Ikeja.

Olusanya said the state government was moving beyond isolated agricultural interventions to a coordinated food systems economy driven by infrastructure, logistics, technology and private-sector investment.

According to her, the strategy covers food production, storage, transportation, processing, distribution and market access, with the goal of positioning Lagos as Africa’s leading food systems hub. She noted that Lagos remains Nigeria’s largest food market, creating opportunities for investors, farmers, logistics operators and agribusinesses.

The commissioner said one of the government’s flagship projects, the Lagos Central Food Systems and Logistics Hub in Epe, is expected to become the largest food logistics hub in Sub-Saharan Africa upon completion. She disclosed that the facility is designed to handle more than 1,500 trucks daily and support the storage, processing, aggregation and distribution of over 1.5 million metric tonnes of food annually.

Olusanya added that the first phase of the Lagos Central Food Security Systems and Logistics Hub would be commissioned this year, describing the development as a major milestone in the state’s food systems transformation agenda.

She explained that the hub would include cold and dry storage facilities, processing centres, quality control laboratories, warehouses, digital trading platforms and truck parks aimed at reducing post-harvest losses and stabilising food prices. The commissioner also revealed that the state had launched the Produce for Lagos initiative alongside a N500 billion Offtake Guarantee Fund to support farmers, aggregators, logistics companies and investors.

Olusanya further said Lagos continued to expand agricultural infrastructure through projects such as the Imota Rice Mill, middle-level agro-produce hubs and the Lagos Aquaculture Centre of Excellence. She disclosed that the Imota Rice Mill produced more than 500,000 bags of Eko Rice within the review period, while over 66,000 beneficiaries received support through various agricultural and agribusiness programmes across the state.