Food security critical to national security, requires investment beyond farming -Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has described food security as a critical national security concern, calling for sustained investment across the food value chain to address production, distribution and affordability challenges.

The governor, who reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the state’s five-year Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap, said the government would sustain funding and strengthen partnerships with the private sector, other state governments and the Federal Government to build a resilient food system.

Sanwo-Olu spoke at the Lagos Food Systems Nexus 2026, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems in Ikeja, with the theme, “Food Security Is Not an Agricultural Problem: Connecting the Dots.”

He said achieving food security required a coordinated approach involving farmers, investors, policymakers and other stakeholders, urging them to work with the government to strengthen food production, improve distribution and expand access to affordable food.

According to him, addressing food security challenges requires investment beyond farming, with deliberate attention to the entire value chain.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, said food security extended beyond farming to include processing, transportation, marketing, technology and distribution.

Olusanya explained that the Lagos Food Systems Nexus was designed to bring together stakeholders from different sectors to develop practical solutions, strengthen collaboration and unlock investment opportunities across the food economy. The commissioner said addressing the challenges of food security required a coordinated approach that connected every segment of the value chain.