Lagos Opens Third Food Hub in Agege to Cut Post-Harvest Losses, Targets ₦5bn in Annual Trade

News in Brief: 

— Lagos State has commissioned its third Mid-Level Agro-Produce Hub, this time in Agege, joining existing facilities in Mushin and Abijo as part of a wider food security push. 

— The 7,000-square-metre facility can host up to 400 vendors and is projected to handle over ₦5 billion in annual trade once it becomes fully operational in six weeks.

Lagos State Government has commissioned the Agege Fresh Food Hub, a new Mid-Level Agro-Produce Hub in the Agege area of Lagos mainland. This is the third of the food hubs created to reduce food waste and bridge the farm-to-market supply chain for residents.

The new hub, located at Pen Cinema, Agege, was commissioned by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as reported by NAN. It joins the Mushin Fresh Food Hub opened in December 2023, and the Abijo hub commissioned earlier in 2026.

Growing Network of Food Hubs in Lagos

The government said these food hubs, strategically located across Lagos, are designed to shorten supply chains, eliminate unnecessary middlemen, and make food distribution more efficient across the state.

Speaking at the event, Sanwo-Olu said the commissioning was central to building an efficient food system for Lagos.

"Today marks another important milestone in our collective journey to build a food-secure, economically vibrant, and resilient Lagos," he revealed. "It is the physical expression of a larger vision that places food security at the heart of our development agenda."

The governor declared that Lagos, with a population of over 25 million, is Nigeria's largest food market, yet more than 70 per cent of the food it consumes comes from outside the state. This consequently exposes residents to high transport costs, post-harvest losses, poor storage and price swings, problems the hub network was built to solve.

Mushin Hub Sets the Pace

Sanwo-Olu pointed to the Mushin Fresh Food Hub as proof the model works. He said it has recorded transactions worth over ₦4 billion across 228 market days, registered more than 850 vendors, and created over 7,000 direct and indirect jobs since 2023.

"Today, we proudly add Agege to that network," he said. "This Hub is strategically located to serve Agege and its neighbouring communities. It will also strengthen the wider food-distribution network across Lagos and bring modern food infrastructure closer to the people."

The governor added that Lagos farmers and partner states can now produce against guaranteed demand from the Lagos market, addressing two major farming concerns: financing and market access. He further stated that the government is also building hubs at Opebi and Bombata, with sites identified at Ikorodu, Apapa, Festac and the Lekki axis, with a long-term goal of structured food hubs in every local government area of the state.

Inside the Agege Hub

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, said the hub was built around a "hub-and-spoke" model to reduce losses from poor handling, traffic congestion and disorganised trading conditions common in Lagos markets.

She said the Mushin hub had already proven its worth, noting that during the 2024 food inflation crisis, it served as the launchpad for the Ounje Eko Food Discount Market, which eventually expanded to 66 locations across the state.

The Agege facility sits on about 7,000 square metres, with a 4,000-square-metre trading floor capable of holding 350 to 400 vendors. It has 1,200 square metres of dry storage with roughly 800-metric-tonne capacity, plus 300 metric tonnes of cold storage for fresh produce, an expanded seafood section, parking for 80 to 90 vehicles, and 10 electric vehicle charging points.

Olusanya said produce will flow in through farmers, aggregators, processors and bulk dealers, before commissioned agents and retailers distribute it to consumers. Traders will keep control of their own pricing and commercial terms, while government and hub management provide infrastructure and oversight.

She said the hub, backed by a 351-page operating framework, is projected to facilitate more than ₦5 billion in food transactions annually and will be fully operational within six weeks, once operator onboarding is complete.