Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday launched the Produce for Lagos Programme alongside a ₦500 billion Offtake Guarantee Fund—an unprecedented state-led initiative designed to boost food security, reduce imports, and catalyse nationwide agricultural productivity.
Speaking during the official launch at Lagos House, Ikeja, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the programme reflects his administration’s commitment to inclusive prosperity and sustainable development, firmly positioning Lagos as both Nigeria’s largest food mart and a driver of national growth.
“With a food economy valued at ₦16.14 trillion and consumption exceeding 50% of food traded in the South-West, Lagos has a responsibility to lead. Produce for Lagos is our bold response to that call,” he said.
The Governor explained that the programme would ensure guaranteed offtake contracts, access to financing, and a strengthened logistics framework, directly linking producers across Nigeria to Lagos’s massive food market.
Infrastructure & Private Sector Collaboration
Sanwo-Olu also flagged off a fleet of 150 cold and dry trucks—the largest of its kind in Nigeria—developed in collaboration with the private sector to support food transportation and reduce post-harvest losses.
“This is not a subsidy—it is an investment vehicle,” he clarified. “The ₦500 Billion Offtake Guarantee Fund will provide working capital for bulk traders, liquidity for aggregators, credit support for producers, and financing for logistics operators across the country.”
He added that the initiative would be implemented through the Lagos Food Systems Infrastructure Company (LAFSINCO) and supported by Special Purpose Vehicles like the Lagos Bulk Trading Company, Ekolog, and the Produce for Lagos Fund.
“What we are doing here is creating a new agricultural ecosystem—combining policy, financing, infrastructure, and data to meet today’s demands and tomorrow’s challenges,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Call for National Collaboration
The Governor extended an invitation to state governments, development organisations, investors, and industry players to partner with Lagos in feeding the nation.
“Let us rise together to secure Nigeria’s food future. Let us build across borders, grow resilient infrastructure, and collaborate for the prosperity of our people,” he urged.
Support from Stakeholders
The launch drew high-level support from political and institutional leaders. Governors Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Mohammed Bago (Niger), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), and Usman Ododo (Kogi) praised the initiative and pledged partnership to leverage their agricultural strengths for the success of the programme.
Federal ministers including Bosun Tijani (Digital Economy), Idi Maiha (Livestock), and Doris Aniete (State for Finance), also commended Lagos State for pioneering a model of inter-state agricultural collaboration.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, expressed confidence in the initiative and affirmed the military’s support for tackling hunger and enhancing security around food value chains.
Lagos Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, said the state was building a centralised aggregation and logistics platform to reduce waste, stabilise prices, and deliver food efficiently to urban areas.
Private sector leader, Prince S. J. Samuel, Chairman of Origin Tech Group, reaffirmed investor readiness to support the government’s transformative food agenda and called for deeper public-private partnerships.