Building a Food-Secure Future: Lagos Agro-Food Hubs and What They Mean for the Diaspora

One of the biggest concerns facing fast-growing megacities like Lagos is food security. With millions of new residents every decade, the question of how to ensure affordable, fresh, and accessible food for all becomes increasingly urgent.

This week, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu shared an update that should excite not only Lagos residents but also our diaspora community. He visited the nearly completed Mid-Level Agro Food Hub in Abijo, Ibeju-Lekki, a massive project covering 23,000 square meters. This hub, now over 90% complete, will feature storage facilities, trading floors, and parking spaces designed to make fresh food more accessible and affordable for families in Lagos.

Interestingly, this is not an isolated project. Similar hubs are underway in Agege, Lagos Island, Oregun, and Ikorodu, with additional facilities planned for Epe and Badagry. All will be connected to a central logistics hub at Ketu-Ereyun, which is designed to serve as the backbone of Lagos’ food distribution network. Together, these hubs form part of the state’s broader strategy to decentralize food supply chains—reducing post-harvest losses, cutting transportation costs, and stabilizing prices. These investments are central to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s food security agenda and align with both the Lagos Agricultural Roadmap and the Produce for Lagos initiative.

For the diaspora, this development carries three key messages: Food security is investment security, as Lagos is deliberately building resilience in its food systems. By reducing dependence on scattered informal markets and moving towards structured hubs, the state is creating opportunities for agribusiness, logistics, cold storage, and retail sectors, giving diaspora investors confidence to plug into emerging value chains with solid infrastructure in place. It also shows alignment with global best practices, since many Lagosians abroad have seen how food hubs operate in places like the UK, US, and Canada, where central hubs connect farmers, wholesalers, and retailers. Lagos is adopting a similar model, tailored to local realities, signaling that the city is embracing global standards to meet local needs. Finally, there are direct benefits for Lagosians at home, as these hubs will deliver fresher produce, shorter travel times to markets, and fairer prices for residents, translating into better nutrition and an improved quality of life for the families of diaspora Lagosians.

As Governor Sanwo-Olu noted, “By this time next year, I expect these hubs will already be improving food access for our residents.”

The Lagos State Office of Diaspora Affairs (LASDA) sees this as more than a food security initiative, it’s an invitation for Lagosians abroad to reconnect with the future of their city. Whether through investment, knowledge transfer, or partnerships, the diaspora has a role to play in strengthening Lagos’ food ecosystem.

The future of Lagos’ food system is being built right now - and the diaspora has a seat at the table.