Lagos food roadmap stays on track with public and private backing

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Lagos food roadmap on track

Highlights

Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu confirms the state's four-year Food Road Master Plan remains on schedule with funding from both public and private sectors.
Lagos’s food policy receives federal support, including President Bola Tinubu’s endorsement of interest-free assistance for farmers to address wider food security.
Commissioner Abisola Olusanya emphasizes Lagos’s Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap focuses on the entire food ecosystem, leveraging private companies and young entrepreneurs to drive economic impact.

Roadmap funding and policy backing

As reported by Businessday, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu says the state’s four-year Food Road Master Plan remains on track with backing from the private sector, other state governments and the federal government.

Speaking at the Lagos Food Systems Nexus on Thursday in Lagos, Sanwo-Olu tells farmers, industry leaders and young agripreneurs that the plan’s success depends on stakeholders understanding and sharing the state’s vision. He says the government is funding the programme while support is also coming from private investors and public-sector partners.

Sanwo-Olu says Lagos began the roadmap about four years ago and remains committed to delivering it. He describes food as the leading security issue globally, saying advanced, emerging and developing economies are all still grappling with the challenge.

He also says governance cannot pause because of election activity, adding that food policy remains a core part of the state’s administration. Sanwo-Olu cites President Bola Tinubu’s recent acknowledgement that farmers need interest-free support, which he frames as central to addressing the wider food security challenge.

Broader food economy focus in Lagos

Abisola Olusanya, Lagos commissioner for agriculture and food systems, says the Nexus marks the culmination of a five-year Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap designed to redefine agriculture beyond farm output alone.

She says food security cannot be solved only by increasing production, arguing that countries can raise agricultural output and still face persistent food insecurity. In her view, Lagos is treating food security as both an economic and agricultural issue, with attention on the full ecosystem that shapes how food is produced, transformed, traded and valued.

Olusanya points to businesses such as Chowdeck as examples of how the food economy extends beyond farmers. She says the government’s approach also relies on the roles of private companies, academic institutions, multilateral organisations and development partners.

She highlights young entrepreneurs featured at the event, including Yanmife, Foluso, Etimbuk, Favor and Baliqees, as evidence of what can emerge when the business environment works. While the ministry provides grants and supports an innovation ecosystem, she says the entrepreneurs themselves are driving the expansion of their businesses and creating opportunities for others.

In a previous article, we explained how Strait of Hormuz disruption is starting to hit farm yields and raise food price risks.

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