Lagos State Government has concluded its plan to unveil a N500 billion ‘Produce for Lagos’ initiative, a landmark offtaker programme, to boost food security.
The state government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food System, stated that the launch of the initiative, aimed at improving food production and tackling food insecurity in the state, would take place tomorrow, July 23, 2025.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, who spoke during a media briefing yesterday, said that the initiative had been in development for over six years, dating back to the beginning of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
According to her, the government has been working tirelessly to ensure that Lagos State becomes more food-secure, but achieving that goal requires partnerships across and beyond the state.
Olusanya noted that the state plays a critical role in the food value chain in sub-Saharan Africa, acting as a major market. She said that due to its limited land size, Lagos State could not meet its food demand alone, hence leading to the creation of a two-part programme: “Produce in Lagos” and “Produce for Lagos.”
The commissioner, who stated that the “Produce in Lagos” component focuses on boosting agriculture within the state by supporting farmers, processors, and market sellers, said the state government had implemented several programmes to support the effort, which include the Ounje Eko Farmer Subsidy Programme and the Ounje Eko Food Discount Market, as well as collaboration with the World Bank and the Federal Government through the APPEALS and Lagos CARES programmes.
According to her, the state government has also introduced training and capacity-building initiatives, such as the Lagos agric scholars programme, for secondary school students and the Lagos agripreneurship programme for young graduates and other residents interested in agriculture.
Olusanya also highlighted the state’s consistent efforts to improve market access and funding support for stakeholders in the food system, citing the agricultural value chain enterprise activation programme as one of the many interventions aimed at empowering food producers.
She, however, recalled Governor Sanwo-Olu’s financial support to market women under the Lagos Trader Money initiative, where 15,000 traders received N50,000 each, amounting to a total of N750 million.
The commissioner stressed that the state currently produces only about 40 per cent of what it consumes, saying that to meet the needs of the growing population, the state must look beyond its borders.
