Tony Elumelu, Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), has pledged N25 billion to support the Produce for Lagos Programme, a new initiative spearheaded by the Lagos Food Systems Infrastructure Company aimed at transforming the state’s food supply chain.
Announcing the donation at the official launch of the programme in Lagos on Wednesday, Elumelu said the intervention is designed to tackle youth unemployment and boost agricultural productivity.
“In a few years’ time, this will help us confront the challenge of youth joblessness,” Elumelu said. “We believe our young people should not be idle — we have arable land that must be put to use.”
He urged stakeholders across public and private sectors to rally behind the programme and described it as a shared mission.
“Whatever Your Excellency wants us to do — at UBA, Transcorp Group, Tony Elumelu Foundation, or Heirs Holdings — we will do,” he added.
Abisola Olusanya, Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, formally launched the initiative alongside a N500 billion offtake guarantee fund to secure market access for farmers.
She said the Produce for Lagos Programme is part of the state’s Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap, launched in 2021, and is designed to address the uncoordinated inflow of food into Lagos by implementing a data-driven framework to optimise agricultural supply from across the country.
“This programme will strengthen partnerships with food-producing states, reduce post-harvest losses, cut food costs, and improve supply chain efficiency,” Olusanya explained. “It also guarantees farmers a ready market and creates sustainable livelihoods across the value chain.”
She added that the programme aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises agriculture and food security as national imperatives.
Earlier this year, Lagos and Niger State governments signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on food production and distribution — a move seen as foundational to the Produce for Lagos rollout.