The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has commissioned the newly constructed Middle-Level Food Agro-hub.
The facility located in Mushin area of the state, according to the governor was established as one of the direct answers to the question of food insecurity and sustainability plaguing the country.
The hub is sitting on 6,400 square meters of land, with adequate parking space to accommodate trailers and vehicles, and has centralized wet and dry storage areas for bulk buying.
Speaking at the event, Governor Sanwo-Olu said that the project stemmed out of the Food Systems Transformation Agenda of his administration which is strategic in the actualisation of the THEMES Plus Agenda and it is envisaged that through the project and similar ones to be implemented, food preservation and presentation to the populace will be enhanced.
He said that the agenda categorises Lagos State Food System into the Central Logistics Hub, Mid-level Agro-produce Hub, and the Last Mile Food Distribution outlets, with assurance that his administration will remove all impediments to achieve desired results.
Sanwo-Olu noted that Mid-level Agro Produce Hub will pave the way for the modernization, reorganization, and presentation of state-of-the-art data-driven food and agriculture systems where players and actors in the marketing chain interact freely.
He stressed that the project will also address prevailing market challenges of inadequate infrastructure; food shortage; high degree of fragmentation and standardisation.
“The Food System Transformation Agenda was adopted as a measure to improve the current system which is inundated by wastage, post-harvest losses, traffic congestion, and other inefficiencies that result in the loss of over 50% of agricultural produce, especially in perishables.
“This transformation journey is hinged on our 5-year Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap (2021-2026) which reflects our passionate commitment to boosting food production, processing and marketing.”
“The roadmap sets the stage for direct interventions, strategic collaborations, and the establishment of linkages with the private sector, financial institutions, foreign governments and multilateral agencies.”
“Through efficiency-driven strategies such as this and other initiatives including the ground breaking Eko Agro Mechanization Programme, the innovative tractor-hailing application, the establishment of a 32 tons/hour Lagos Rice Mill at Imota, the enterprise development for women and youth in poultry production, piggery, aquaculture, apiculture (beekeeping), horticulture, and artisanal fishing, we are on the right path to enhancing food production which would lead us to attaining the goal of meeting 40% of Lagos State’s food requirements by 2025.”
The Governor maintained with the inauguration of the Hub, his administration is following through its developmental agenda of protecting food systems of the state.
He added that the construction of the Central Logistics Hub at Ketu-Ereyun, Epe which is ongoing is a confirmation of the Lagos State Government’s solution and strategy that harnesses its comparative advantage as a market-state, stressing that this will be followed with the construction of additional three Hubs at Agege, Ajah, and Abule-ado axis of the State.
Integrating Markets
The Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya explained that the need to address the poor integration of markets in the face of growing food demands from a burgeoning population prompted the idea.
Olusanya who appreciated the Governor, and his Deputy for actualising the first of its kind agriculture facility said that the project would ensure market information, intermediary integration and contractual certainty that would address post harvest losses, inflation, carbon footprint and traffic congestion in the state.
She said : “The project is part of Mr Governor’s Food Transformation Agenda and it is a logical agenda, what we have here is the Middle level food hub and it is a kind of Market that should be seen at all local government levels. It is a very simple hub, and nothing complicated to it.
“But the idea around it is how to decentralised procurement of items from and far wide market and to centralised storage both for wet and dry food, and the need for logistics such that it reduces transportation requirements, reduce number of traffic on roads as result of the number of trucks that move around Lagos and to ensure that our farmers are able to produce based on demand and adequately prepare before hand and and get maximise on profit.”
“And bottom line is to ensure that consumers are buying fresh wholesome food at the right price in the right location, even with the impetus that they are coming for a wonderful shopping experience and in a safe environment, that is the what the middle level hub is all about. And also when you add that to the larger picture which is the construction of the logistic hub in Epe, it speaks volumes that this is the right way to go for us as a country to ensure that food security is taken care of.”
She added that food transcend just producing for the consumers, the market must also be protected and that is what the state government is doing to ensure a concrete platform is established to further secure food in Lagos State.
