By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems Ms Abisola Olusanya announced on Tuesday that the state government is nearing completion of the Central Food Systems and Logistics Hub in Epe. She stated that the facility will enhance the state’s N14 trillion food market and address food insecurity.
Speaking at the ministerial press briefing marking the second year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term, held at Alausa, Ikeja, Olusanya described the hub as a flagship project to modernise Lagos’s food distribution system. “The Lagos Central Food Security Systems and Logistics Hub is part of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s vision for agricultural transformation,” she said.
The hub, designed as a data-driven, technologically integrated complex, will handle food aggregation, storage, processing, and distribution. Upon completion, it will be the largest food logistics hub in Sub-Saharan Africa, servicing over 1,500 (40mt) trucks daily.
Olusanya noted, “With expected completion of Phase 1 within the next few months, it will be a game changer in the Nigerian food sovereignty plan, as other states are already emulating Lagos.” She added that the hub’s integrated facilities, including cold and dry storage, a 14,000-capacity abattoir, and a jetty, will reduce food prices significantly.
Structured as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) under a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-and-Transfer (DBFOT) model, the hub spans approximately 400 hectares, with Phase 1 covering 100 hectares. It is expected to manage over 1.5 million metric tonnes of food annually.
Also, the hub will create over five million income opportunities across the agriculture and logistics value chain, from farmers to retailers. It will ensure uninterrupted food supply for over 10 million Lagos residents for at least 90 days during emergencies, while reducing food transportation costs and post-harvest losses, which currently account for 30–50 per cent of Nigeria’s food losses.
Olusanya highlighted the hub’s role as a model for other Nigerian states and West African cities. “It will serve as a foundation for satellite food hubs across Lagos’s 57 Local Government and Council Development Areas, linking rural and urban food systems,” she said.
Currently, the Middle Level Agro Hub at Idi-Oro, Mushin, facilitates trade worth N2,641,709,989. Sites for three additional mid-level hubs have been identified at Ikorodu, FESTAC Town, and Lekki Phase 1.