Sanwo-Olu Commissions Agege Agro Produce Hub
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday commissioned the Lagos Fresh Food Hub in Pen Cinema, Agege, describing the facility as a major component of the state’s strategy to build a food secure, efficient and resilient food distribution system.
Sanwo-Olu said the hub was part of the state’s broader Food Systems Transformation Agenda, designed to address challenges associated with Lagos’ dependence on food produced outside the state, including high transportation costs, post harvest losses, poor storage, supply disruptions and price volatility.
According to him, more than 70 per cent of the food consumed in Lagos is produced outside the state, making it necessary to transform the entire food chain from production and aggregation to logistics, processing and distribution.
He said the Agege facility was part of a network of Mid Level Agro Produce Hubs being developed across Lagos to complement the Lagos Central Food Systems and Logistics Hub at Ketu Ereyun, Epe.
The Governor noted that the network would bring modern food infrastructure closer to communities, shorten supply chains, improve produce handling, reduce losses and create better opportunities for farmers, traders and other participants in the food value chain.
He disclosed that the central hub at Epe was at an advanced stage and would be commissioned before the end of his administration, adding that additional mid level hubs were being developed in Opebi and Bombata, with other locations identified in Ikorodu, Apapa, Festac and the Lekki axis.
Sanwo-Olu also highlighted the impact of the Fresh Food Hub in Mushin, which, since its commissioning in 2023, has recorded transactions worth more than ₦4 billion across 228 market days, with over 850 registered vendors and more than 7,000 direct and indirect jobs created.
He further said the Produce for Lagos Programme, launched in 2025 alongside the ₦500 billion Offtake Guarantee Fund, was helping farmers produce against guaranteed market demand, thereby improving market access, reducing distress sales and encouraging greater investment in agriculture.
The Governor said the administration had also trained more than 125,800 farmers and fishermen in modern agricultural practices, while over 4,000 young people had been equipped through the Lagos Agripreneurship Programme.
Speaking on the newly commissioned facility, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, said the Agege hub was designed as an interconnected component of Lagos’ wider food distribution network rather than a conventional market.
Olusanya explained that the hub and spoke model would link the Central Food Security Systems and Logistics Hub with strategically located mid level hubs, allowing food to move more efficiently from farmers and aggregators to traders and consumers.
She said the facility was designed to address poor handling and storage, traffic congestion associated with food logistics, waste management and the poor trading conditions often experienced by market operators.
The Commissioner disclosed that the Agege hub occupies about 7,000 square metres, with a 4,000 square metre trading floor capable of accommodating between 350 and 400 vendors. It also has about 1,200 square metres of dry storage with a capacity of approximately 800 metric tonnes and about 300 metric tonnes of cold storage.
According to her, the facility also features a dedicated seafood section, parking space for 80 to 90 vehicles and 10 electric vehicle charging points.
Olusanya projected that the hub would facilitate more than ₦5 billion in food transactions annually, stressing that its benefits would extend across the value chain, from farmers and aggregators to logistics operators, retailers and consumers.
She, however, clarified that the hub would commence full operations in six weeks to allow for the completion of operator onboarding and the implementation of its operating, logistics and governance systems.
She said the state government had also developed a 351 page operating framework covering produce receiving and quality control, storage and inventory management, sanitation, waste management and the use of trading spaces.
Olusanya said the objective was to make the Agege facility a benchmark for modern food markets in Lagos, Nigeria and Africa, providing a cleaner, more organised and efficient environment for food trading.
Commissioning the facility, Sanwo Olu urged farmers, traders and aggregators who would operate from the hub to maximise the opportunities provided by the infrastructure, saying its success would ultimately contribute to better prices for farmers and access to fresh and affordable food for Lagos residents.
On his part, a member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Wale Ahmed, said the people of Agege were happy with the choice of location for the project.
According to him, the food hub would attract ₦5 billion worth of food produce monthly, describing the figure as a huge investment opportunity for residents.
The Olu of Agege, Oba Kabila Oyedeji, thanked the Governor for the initiative, assuring him that the people would not disappoint but would take maximum advantage of the project.
While adding her voice, the Iyaloja General of Orile Agege, Chief Mrs. Bola Orelaro, assured the Governor that the food hub would emerge as the best among those already established.
She also promised to promote it and urged residents to embrace the modern market structure as a valuable gift from the state.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of Agege Local Government, Abdul Ganiyi Vinod Obasa, described the event as historic, saying the food hub would further fast track the socioeconomic development of Agege.
He noted that the food hub was a practical way of ensuring hygienic food at the doorstep of residents, adding that it would guarantee food security in the state.
The council boss pointed out that a secure food system was not optional but a necessity for a growing population like Lagos, noting that it would help farmers get their produce to the market with ease.
