IBRAHIM QUADRI
Lagos State Government has revealed that it has Nigeria’s largest food market, with an annual food economy estimated at N16.14trn.
In addressing the food supply chain, the State government has introduced a number of interventions, including production of paddy and processing, as well as the establishment of food hubs around the State.
To boost paddy production, the State government has cultivated 300 hectares of land to serve as input for its Imota Rice Mill with a capacity of producing 2.4 million 50kg bags of rice annually.
These are some of the highpoints given by the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms Abisola Olusanya at the ongoing Ministerial Press Briefing at Alausa, Ikeja, to mark the 7th anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
Olusanya stated, “Lagos Rice Mill, Imota: Commissioned in 2023, the Rice Mill is the largest in Africa and the third largest globally. Occupying 22 hectares, it has the capacity to produce 2.4 million 50kg bags of rice annually, creating 1,500 direct jobs and 254,000 indirect jobs.
” In 2025, we continued to optimize operations and deepen partnerships with smallholder rice farmers across the country to maximize utilization of this landmark asset.
“To boost paddy production, the Ministry has cultivated a 100-hectare rice field at Eggua, 100 hectares at Agonrin, cultivated over 100 hectares at Ganyingbo, provided input support to local rice farmers, and launched the Eko Fortified Rice, a nutritionally enhanced version of Eko Rice, in late 2025 to combat widespread malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, especially among children.
“The product is enriched with a specific blend of vitamins and minerals to improve public health without altering existing dietary habits. Under the year in review, the Lagos Rice Mill Imota produced over 500,000 50kg bags of Eko Rice, and continues to contribute to the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President,” she stated.
Olusanya added, “The Lagos Central Food Systems & Logistics Hub, Epe: The Lagos Central Food Security Systems and Logistics Hub in Ketu-Ereyun, Epe, remains the flagship infrastructure project of this administration in the agriculture and food systems sector. Conceived as a modern, data-driven, and technology-enabled food logistics platform, the hub is designed to transform how food enters, moves through, and is distributed across Lagos State.
“Upon full completion, the hub is expected to become the largest food logistics hub in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is designed to service over 1,500 trucks daily and support the storage, processing, aggregation, and distribution of over 1.5 million metric tonnes of food annually.
“The facility includes cold and dry storage systems, processing and repackaging centers, quality control laboratories, warehousing and logistics bays, digital market systems, truck parks, aggregation facilities, trading platforms, and support infrastructure for food safety, traceability, and price intelligence.
“This project is significant because Lagos remains Nigeria’s largest food market, with an annual food economy estimated at 16.14 trillion Naira. Yet, a large percentage of the food consumed in Lagos comes from outside the State. This exposes the State to supply chain disruptions, high logistics costs, poor storage, price volatility, and post-harvest losses.
“The Central Food Systems and Logistics Hub is our strategic response to these challenges. By improving aggregation, storage, processing, and distribution, the hub will reduce waste, improve food safety, lower logistics costs, and support more stable food prices. It will also create significant employment and enterprise opportunities across transportation, cold chain, warehousing, packaging, trading, processing, food safety, retail, and technology services.
“Today, I am pleased to inform you that the first phase of the Lagos Central Food Security Systems and Logistics Hub is scheduled for commissioning this year, and you will all be invited to witness the unveiling of this iconic infrastructure.
“This will mark a major turning point in Lagos State’s food systems transformation journey. It will demonstrate that Lagos is not only responding to food security challenges through temporary interventions, but through long-term infrastructure that will strengthen the food economy for generations,” the Commissioner added.
Speaking on the Lagos State Middle Level Agro-Produce Hub, she noted, “Food Hub, Idi-Oro Mushin in which we reported that the volume of transaction traded as at the last ministerial press briefing was valued at over ₦2.6 billion, I am delighted to report that from May 2025 till date, the hub has reported an additional ₦1.2 billion in transaction volume from 76 market days with over 850 vendors registered generating over 7,000 direct and indirect employment.
“The Fresh Food Hub at Idi-Oro, Mushin, has already demonstrated the value of structured market infrastructure by improving food aggregation, supporting direct farmer-to-market linkages, creating jobs, and enabling better produce handling. The long-term plan is to establish similar hubs across strategic locations in the State, with the broader ambition of ensuring that every Local Government and Local Council Development Area has access to structured, efficient, and modern food distribution infrastructure.
“Towards this end, this Government has constructed the Mid-Level Agroproduce Hub at Abijo, which was commissioned virtually by Mr. President in April, 2026. We will be launching the Hub at Agege in the next couple of months, while construction is ongoing at Opebi, Ikorodu, and Bombata areas of the State. Sites have also been identified for Apapa, Festac, and the Lekki axis.”
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