Oredola Adeola

As part of efforts put in place to advance the construction of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest Food Security Systems and Central Logistics Park on a 1.2 million square metre site in Ketu-Ereyun, Epe, Governor Babajide Sanwoolu visited the Rungis International Market in Paris on Thursday.

Governor Sanwoolu stated that the visit aimed to establish strategic and technical partnerships essential for the development and operationalization of the Lagos Food and Logistics Hub.

“I was inspired to discover that the vibrant Rungis International Market in Paris, France, is not just the second-largest wholesale food market in the world, but also covers an impressive 232 hectares of land,” the Governor said in Paris.

Advisors Reports confirmed that the establishment of the food park is part of an ambitious 5-year Agricultural and Food Systems Road Map (2021–2025) launched in 2021 by the Sanwo-Olu administration to enhance food sufficiency in Lagos.

Recall that Governor Sanwo-Olu performed the groundbreaking ceremony in 2022, to inaugurate the first phase of the largest food logistics hub in West Africa in 2024, aimed at boosting food security in the state.

“We have a robust integrated plan to ensure food sufficiency and adequacy in Lagos because global food security is becoming an issue. As a government, we need to help the market, the farmers, and our citizens,” the Governor added.

The Lagos State Governor in a recent statement revealed that the central food and logistics hub is expected to create direct wealth for more than 5 million traders in the agricultural value chain when completed, while also guaranteeing uninterrupted food supplies to more than 10 million Lagosians for at least 90 days in periods of scarcity.

Further checks by Advisors Reports showed that annual transactions on food items in Lagos are estimated at N5 trillion, with farmers losing 40% of produce daily due to the lack of post-harvest storage systems.

The logistics food market is designed to be the central hub where all sorts of food in Lagos will be consolidated, featuring cold and dry storage facilities.

From the main hubs, food will be distributed to middle-level markets, three of which have already been built, with an additional five under construction.

These middle-level markets will then supply the corner shops and local markets throughout the state.