The Lagos State Government has opened applications for the third edition of Lagos Agrithon programme, offering ₦200 million in funding to support innovative agribusiness ventures.
The Agrithon programme, led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, is an agribusiness innovation competition aimed at supporting emerging entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, while speaking at a press conference held on the sidelines of the Lagos Agrinnovation Hangout 8.0, with the theme: “Connect and Thrive, Building Teams that Grow” said the need for Lagos Agrithon become expedient to address the challenges in the agricultural sector.
“When we launched the first edition in 2024, we wanted to identify young innovators who were solving real problems within the food system and provide them with the support required to scale those solutions. The results have been profoundly encouraging.
“Over the past two editions, we have witnessed ideas evolve into viable businesses, seen young entrepreneurs attract additional investment, create jobs and expand their operations and we have seen businesses move from concept stage to market stage, and we have seen innovators who once doubted themselves become founders and employers. Perhaps most importantly, we have built a community of young people who now see themselves as active participants in shaping the future of food systems in Lagos.” she said
Eligible Applicants
Olusanya mentioned that the application to the competition opens from June 19 to July 19, 2026, directing an Interested individual to visit: www.lagosagrinnovation.com/agrithon to register.
According to her “Lagos is looking for individual agripreneurs that genuinely possess transformative and innovative ideas to grow the sector. And Lagos Agrithon is not a lottery, nor is it a programme where grants are simply disbursed. We have deliberately built a rigorous and transparent selection process designed to identify ventures with the greatest potential for impact, scalability and sustainability.
“Applicants undergo a multi-stage evaluation process involving application screening, business assessment, pitch sessions, due diligence and technical reviews conducted by experts drawn from industry, academia, finance and the broader innovation ecosystem. Beyond the grant funding itself, participants are exposed to mentorship, enterprise development support and opportunities to connect with investors and strategic partners. This year’s edition represents our strongest statement yet that we believe in the capacity of young people to solve some of the most pressing challenges within our food systems.”
She stated that the state Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has consistently demonstrated unwavering commitment to position agriculture, not simply as a production activity, but as a complete food system capable of creating jobs, attracting investment, improving nutrition and driving inclusive economic growth.
Hang Out 8.0
The Agrinnovation hang out 8.0 according to Olusanya was designed for the next generation of food systems leaders and changemakers in Lagos State to bond, collaborate and share ideas.
She also stressed that the Agrinnovation Club was intended to change perceptions by demonstrating that agriculture and food systems offer enormous opportunities for enterprise, wealth creation and impact.
Engaging Value Chain
Speaking to the journalists, the Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Agriculture, Dr Rotimi Fashola maintained that the Agrinnovation idea was bourne out of the need to cater for all the spectrum of agriculture value chain.
He appreciated Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dr Kadiri Hamzat leadership towards reimagined agriculture in the state
In his remark, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Fatai Emmanuel Audu said that Lagos Agrithon has created a platform of ideas and continuously expanding the frontier of the agricultural space where young agripreneurs are thriving.
Digital Agriculture
One of the resource persons at the Hang out, Mr Kamil Olufowobi said that after the Afro beat sound, movies, fashion, the next cultural export is the Nigerian food, stressing for a concerted effort to grow the food systems
He however emphasised on leveraging technology, adopting digital tools and building a long term connection around the value chain to sustain the development of the agriculture ecosystem.
