The Lagos State Government, on Wednesday, unveiled the N500bn Produce-for-Lagos Off-taker Guarantee Fund, aimed at boosting food production and supply, reducing imports, and enhancing agricultural productivity in the country.
The unveiling and signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the partnering states was held at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja.
Present at the event were Governors Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Usman Ododo (Kogi), Umaru Bago (Niger), Agbu Kefas (Taraba) and the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Olajide Owolabi.
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, was represented.
Others present were Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa; Minister for Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of State for Finance, Doris Aniete, and the Minister of Livestock, Idi Maiha.
Sanwo-Olu also unveiled about 150 40-foot trucks to ease food logistics in and out of the state.
He described the initiative as part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to foster the achievement of food security in the country.
The programme, according to Sanwo-Olu, would be implemented through the Lagos Food Systems Infrastructure Company, and supported by key Special Purpose Vehicles like the Lagos Bulk Trading Company, Ekolog, and the Produce for Lagos Fund.
“Lagos is Nigeria’s food market, and we consume over 50 per cent of the food that is traded in the southwest part of the country.
“We have a food economy that is valued at over N6tn. It is also noted that Lagos loses 50 per cent of its food largely due to poor storage and inefficient transportation.
“It became clear that we must organise our food systems to feed our people well.
“The ‘Produce for Lagos’ programme will help to create logistics support, and it will help to connect directly to the Lagos dynamic food economy.
“That is why we are launching Ecolog logistics trucks through the Lagos State Food Systems Infrastructure company,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor added that the trucks, when in operation, would help to create a new agricultural ecosystem.
“We are going to launch about 150 40-foot trucks that will serve as a step or test for the smooth movement of food.
“The trucks are all CNG-powered and can travel to all parts of the country on a full tank and return to Lagos without refuelling at any petrol station.
“These trucks are the first of their kind, and it is a big initiative for us as a country and as a state.
“So, for us, the N50bn is just a tip, and as you see, some of our friends in the private sector are beginning to show interest.
“What we are doing here is that we are creating a whole new agricultural ecosystem, one that will rise from the demands of today and tomorrow, to combine our policy that will be well-focused, creating a financial model that will outlive us.
“And building infrastructure that will live even for generations that are coming behind us, and ensuring that we have a robust database that everybody can work on,” Sanwo-Olu said.
During a fundraising session, the Chairman of the United Bank for Africa, Tony Elumelu, announced the sum of N25bn to support the initiative.
“The programme will help to address the issue of unemployment in the state as more youth can be employed to be part of the initiative. UBA will be supporting this initiative with the sum of N25bn,” he said.
On his part, Bago pledged to support Lagos with 500,000 hectares of land.
“When I saw ‘Produce for Lagos,’ I said no, I am farming for Lagos. And I have allotted 500,000 hectares for Lagos only, and we will produce only Lagos food,” he said.
In his address, Tijani applauded the Lagos State Government for the initiative, describing it as one of the most visionary food interventions.
“It gives farmers and food producers the most value for their food produce. By absorbing farm produce, the state government is setting the state up for growth. This is how we build a resilient city and rebuild our future,” Tijani said.
The five governors present also described the programme as “ambitious and apt” in their separate addresses.
They expressed readiness to partner with Lagos in comparative advantages to boost food security in the country.
Gen Musa commended the Lagos State Government and described the initiative as a visionary one that would bridge the critical link between food security and national stability.
In a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Brig Gen Tukur Gusau, on Wednesday, in Abuja, the CDS expressed admiration for the bold collaboration between Lagos State, the private sector, and the Lagos Food Systems Infrastructure Company.
He said the initiative came at a crucial time when Nigeria was in urgent need of resilient and sustainable strategies to enhance food systems and economic security.
Musa acknowledged the strategic alignment of the initiative with the Lagos State Agriculture and Food System Roadmap of 2021, applauding the state’s data-driven approach to strengthening agricultural value chains.
