The Lagos State Government has commissioned the Agege Fresh Food Hub at Pen Cinema as part of efforts to reduce post-harvest losses, improve food distribution and strengthen food security across the state.
The Mid-Level Agro-Produce Hub, inaugurated on Wednesday, is the third facility established by the state government after the Fresh Food Hub in Mushin, commissioned in December 2023, and the Abijo Fresh Food Hub, which was commissioned earlier this year.
Commissioning the facility, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the hub was part of the state’s broader strategy to build a more efficient, resilient and sustainable food system.
He said Lagos, with a population of more than 25 million people, depends heavily on food produced outside the state, with more than 70 per cent of its food supply travelling long distances through fragmented supply chains.
According to him, the situation contributes to high transportation costs, post-harvest losses, poor storage, supply disruptions and food price volatility.
Sanwo-Olu said the government’s Food Systems Transformation Agenda was therefore designed to improve the entire food value chain, from production and aggregation to logistics, processing and distribution.
He said the Agege hub would shorten supply chains, improve produce handling, reduce unnecessary middlemen and bring modern food-distribution infrastructure closer to consumers.
The governor disclosed that the Mushin Fresh Food Hub had recorded transactions worth more than ₦4 billion across 228 market days since its commencement of operations.
He added that more than 850 vendors had registered at the facility, while its operations had generated over 7,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Sanwo-Olu said the hub model would also enable farmers in Lagos and partner states to produce in response to structured and guaranteed demand, helping to reduce distress sales, improve farmers’ incomes and encourage investment in agriculture.
He said the Agege facility would serve residents of Agege and neighbouring communities while strengthening the wider food-distribution network across Lagos.
The governor disclosed that similar projects were underway in Opebi and Bombata, while additional locations had been identified in Ikorodu, Apapa, Festac and the Lekki axis.
He said the long-term objective was to establish structured food hubs across all Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas in Lagos State.
Sanwo-Olu said the initiative would ensure that more communities gain access to modern food infrastructure while improving the movement of agricultural produce from farms to consumers.
