Lagos State is cementing its status as Nigeria’s agricultural innovation capital by spearheading a major transformation of its food systems and local economy. Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu said the initiatives, anchored on technology, youth empowerment, and large-scale market infrastructure, are reshaping how the state grows, processes, and distributes food. He reaffirmed this commitment during the second annual Lagos Agrinnovation Summit.
The drive, he noted, is encapsulated within the Lagos State Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap (2021–2025), a suite of programmes designed to transition agriculture from subsistence to a sustainable and profitable economic engine. Represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Sam Egube, the Governor emphasised the alignment of these efforts with the THEMES+ Agenda and its vision of “Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy.”
According to him, the mission is clear: transforming agriculture “from subsistence to sustainability, from potential to prosperity.”
At the heart of the state’s food systems transformation is a robust three-tiered agro-marketing structure. This includes the Lagos Central Food Security Systems and Logistics Hub (LCFSSLH), mid-level agro-produce hubs, and last-mile distribution outlets. Construction is at an advanced stage for Phase 1 of the LCFSSLH in Ketu-Ereyun, Epe, while mid-level hubs in Abijo (Ibeju-Lekki) and Dairy Farm (Agege) are nearing completion. Additional hubs are being built at Opebi (Ikeja) and Bombata (Lagos Island), with more planned for Ikorodu, Lekki, and Festac. The long-term goal is for each Local Government Area to host at least one functional hub, strengthening market access and reducing post-harvest losses.
The Governor said the state is also making significant industrial investments to boost local production and processing. Among them is the Lagos Rice Mill in Imota, designed to produce 2.5 million 50kg bags of rice annually; the Cattle Feedlot Project targeting over 100,000 cattle yearly; and the Lagos Aquaculture Centre of Excellence (LACE), expected to produce 50 million fingerlings, 2,000 tonnes of fish, and 24,000 tonnes of aquafeed annually once completed.
On the farming side, the Eko Agro Mechanisation Programme, which deploys the Tractor-On-The-Go (TOG) mobile app, has cultivated more than 3,000 hectares of farmland and supported 500 farmers, reducing dependence on manual labour. To guarantee price stability and secure market access for producers, the state launched the Produce for Lagos Programme and a ₦500 billion Guarantee Offtake Fund. The initiative provides farmers with guaranteed markets at pre-agreed prices, offering what Sanwo-Olu described as “a financial backbone within a closed-loop system that connects production to market access, de-risks investment, and stabilises food prices.”
This systemic stabilisation strategy is already being felt in the market, as Lagos intensifies efforts to reduce the price of eggs and other staple foods ahead of the Christmas season. With egg prices peaking between ₦5,400 and ₦6,000 in parts of the state, the government has moved to push prices back below ₦5,000 under the Ounje Eko Farmers’ Subsidy Programme (Phase II). Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, said the intervention is designed both to cushion consumers and to reduce production costs, particularly animal feed, which accounts for over 70 percent of poultry and fish farming expenses.
According to her, the first phase of the programme delivered strong results: more than 5,000 farmers benefited, producing over 7 million eggs from 258,000 layer birds. The state supplied 993.3 metric tonnes of poultry feed and 265.65 metric tonnes of fish feed, helping stabilise supply and reducing market volatility. “This surge in production helped bring down the price of a crate of eggs from its peak of ₦6,000 to between ₦5,000 and ₦5,400. The intervention has proven that strategic government support can create direct price relief for consumers while keeping farmers in business,” she said.
Phase II of the subsidy programme will commence before the end of the month, providing a 25 percent subsidy on Layer Mash, Broiler Starter and Finisher feeds, and various grades of fish feed. It will also extend free grain distribution to pig farmers and free fertiliser support to crop farmers to boost productivity. The intervention will operate across 10 designated locations statewide, including major poultry and fish estates and agricultural service centres.
Ms. Olusanya emphasised that the programme’s sustainability rests on partnerships with financial institutions and feed millers, ensuring transparency and scalability. She reaffirmed the Sanwo-Olu administration’s commitment to a food-secure Lagos through proactive policies and inclusive farmer support. As part of additional consumer relief efforts, she announced a festive market initiative that will offer a 25 percent discount on 11 essential food items at the Lagos Fresh Food Hub in Mushin throughout the holiday season, targeting staples such as rice, beans, garri, frozen chicken, and fresh produce. The state will also maintain a 25 percent subsidy on Eko Agro Mechanisation Services and distribute new equipment — including power tillers, mini tractors, and corn threshers — across crop farming clusters.
Beyond immediate market interventions, the Governor said Lagos is building the future of agriculture through youth-focused skill development. Since 2020, the Lagos Agripreneurship Programme (LAP) has trained over 5,000 youths and women in various value chains, with more than 2,000 receiving input and asset support to establish agribusinesses. The 2025 cohort, currently ongoing, will train and empower more than 1,100 additional agripreneurs.
The government is equally fostering a culture of innovation through the Lagos Agrinnovation Club, which connects young innovators to global partners for mentorship and funding. The club birthed the Lagos Agrithon, which last year awarded ₦100 million in grants to 26 finalists; this year, an additional ₦150 million fund was unveiled to sustain investment in youth-driven agritech solutions.
In her welcome address at the Summit, Commissioner Olusanya said the rising adoption of advanced technologies reflects Lagos’ commitment to building “a youth-led, resilient, and efficient ecosystem.” She said the vision is one where young agribusiness owners, creators, and thinkers come together to transform how Lagos grows, processes, distributes, and consumes food. “Feeding a city of over 24 million people is not the work of one person or one institution — it is the work of a system, a living, breathing network where collaboration replaces competition, where innovation meets opportunity, and where small beginnings grow into lasting impact,” she said.
She added that the Agrinnovation Club is pivotal to the Produce for Lagos programme, which seeks to strengthen rural-urban linkages and ensure that Lagos consumes what it produces. She highlighted success stories emerging from the ecosystem: young innovators turning rooftops into farms, converting waste into feed, and developing tech platforms that link farmers and buyers within seconds. “These stories remind us that transformation does not begin with grand gestures; it begins with one idea, one connection, one act of courage,” she said. “Through partnerships, mentorship, access to resources, supportive policies, and the unwavering belief that your ideas matter — we are building the foundation for something extraordinary.”
Together, the sweeping structural reforms, targeted subsidies, industrial investments, and youth-driven innovation platforms are positioning Lagos as a model for urban food systems transformation in Africa. As Olusanya concluded, “We are building a Lagos where agriculture thrives, farmers prosper, and every household can afford nutritious food.”.
