The Lagos State Government has intensified efforts to transform agriculture into a multi-trillion-naira economic sector with sweeping investments in food infrastructure, logistics, rice production and market reforms aimed at strengthening the state’s estimated N16.14 trillion food economy.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, disclosed this during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, Ikeja.
Olusanya said the state was moving beyond conventional farming into a fully integrated food systems economy driven by infrastructure, technology, logistics and private-sector investment.
According to her, Lagos remains Nigeria’s largest food market and is strategically positioning itself as Africa’s leading food systems hub through coordinated investments across the agricultural value chain.
Central to the plan is the Lagos Central Food Systems and Logistics Hub located in Epe, which the state says will become the largest food logistics hub in Sub-Saharan Africa upon completion.
She disclosed that the facility is designed to handle over 1,500 trucks daily and support the storage, aggregation, processing and distribution of more than 1.5 million metric tonnes of food annually.
“The first phase of the Lagos Central Food Security Systems and Logistics Hub is scheduled for commissioning this year. This will mark a major turning point in Lagos State’s food systems transformation journey,” Olusanya said.
The commissioner explained that the hub would include cold and dry storage systems, warehousing facilities, truck parks, processing centres, quality control laboratories and digital trading platforms aimed at reducing post-harvest losses and improving food distribution efficiency.
She further revealed that the state had launched the Produce for Lagos initiative alongside a N500 billion Offtake Guarantee Fund to support farmers, logistics operators, aggregators and investors by creating a structured and reliable agricultural market system.
According to her, the initiative is expected to reduce market uncertainty, strengthen food supply coordination and encourage greater investment across the agricultural sector.
“The Offtake Guarantee Fund is designed to de-risk agricultural investment and build confidence among farmers, processors, logistics operators and financiers,” she stated.
Olusanya also highlighted the growing impact of the Lagos Rice Mill, Imota, which she described as the largest rice mill in Africa and the third largest globally.
She disclosed that the 22-hectare facility produced over 500,000 bags of Eko Rice within the past year as part of efforts to boost local rice production and strengthen food security.
The commissioner said the mill has an annual production capacity of 2.4 million 50-kilogramme bags of rice and is projected to generate about 1,500 direct jobs and more than 254,000 indirect jobs across the rice value chain.
To sustain production, the ministry cultivated rice fields across Eggua, Agonrin and Ganyingbo while also supporting local rice farmers with agricultural inputs to improve paddy supply.
Olusanya added that the state launched Eko Fortified Rice in 2025 to tackle malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies among residents, especially children.
On youth empowerment and job creation, the commissioner said thousands of youths and agribusiness operators had been trained under programmes such as the Lagos Agripreneurship Programme, Lagos Agric Scholars Programme and Lagos Agrinnovation Club.
She disclosed that more than 66,000 beneficiaries had received support through various agricultural initiatives between May 2025 and date.
Olusanya said the government would continue to seek stronger private-sector participation in aquaculture, greenhouse farming, food processing, logistics, cold-chain systems and digital agriculture.
“We are not implementing isolated agricultural projects. We are building a complete food systems architecture that will strengthen food security, create jobs, attract investment and position Lagos as Nigeria’s food systems powerhouse,” she said.