Food Security Critical To National Security, Says Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday said food security was as critical as national security, calling for sustained investment across the food value chain to address production, distribution and affordability challenges.

The governor stated this at the Lagos Food Systems Nexus 2026, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems in Ikeja, with the theme, “Food Security Is Not an Agricultural Problem: Connecting the Dots.”

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the state’s five-year Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap, saying the government would sustain funding and strengthen partnerships with the private sector, other state governments and the Federal Government to build a resilient food system.

According to him, achieving food security required a coordinated approach involving farmers, investors, policymakers and other stakeholders, and he urged them to work with the government to strengthen food production, improve distribution and expand access to affordable food.

He added that addressing food security challenges required investment beyond farming, with deliberate attention to the entire value chain.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms Abisola Olusanya, said food security extended beyond farming to include processing, transportation, marketing, technology and distribution.

Olusanya explained that the Lagos Food Systems Nexus was designed to bring together stakeholders from different sectors to develop practical solutions, strengthen collaboration and unlock investment opportunities across the food economy.

The commissioner said addressing the challenges of food security required a coordinated approach that connected every segment of the value chain.