Lagos Stimulating Innovations For Nigeria’s Food Supply, Says Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday said despite the small landmass, the state government has continued to stimulate innovations in the nation’s agriculture sector to boost food supply.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who stated this at the Lagos Agrinnovation Summit 2.0 held at Victoria Island, Lagos, with the theme, ‘Thriving Systems for a Smarter Future,’  said the agriculture value chain goes beyond planting and harvesting.

The State government created the Agrinnovation Club through the State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems to serve as a bridge between young agripreneurs and the broader agricultural transformation agenda of the State.

The governor, who was represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Sam Egube, said the state government, in partnership with the private sector and young innovators, has the capacity to produce food in large quantities for Nigeria.

Sanwo-Olu said, “If the market that determines what value is, if the market that drives how value will be allocated in the value chain, I would like to announce that you are in the right place.

“Innovation is at the heart of the President’s strategy, it’s at the heart of the state’s strategy, and we are here to execute and to cause them to focus on this incredible dream to leap Nigeria forward. We believe in investing in and partnering with the private sector to enhance food systems and logistics.

“We believe we are going to stimulate production. The market always drives value, and Lagos is the largest market in West Africa. So we must pay particular attention to what Lagos does and how we mobilise the people of Lagos to produce for Nigeria.

“Like we saw in all the presentations, it’s not just about planting seeds and harvesting seeds, it’s about how those seeds get to the plates from the market.’’

The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms Abisola Olusanya, in her address, said she envisaged a Lagos where no child goes to bed hungry, where food is fresh, affordable, and grown close to home.

She added, “Where the energy that fills our markets is matched by the creativity of young people who see agriculture not as old-fashioned, but as the next great frontier.”

Olusanya raised the hope, “My vision in leading the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture & Food systems has always been about building a youth-led, resilient and efficient machinery — where young agri-business owners, creators, and thinkers come together to form an ecosystem of innovation and enterprise that transforms how Lagos grows, processes, distributes, and consumes food.

“Because feeding a city of over 24 million people is not the work of one person or one institution — it is the work of a system, a living, breathing network where collaboration replaces competition, where innovation meets opportunity, and where small beginnings grow into lasting impact.’’