Consumers, Vendors, and Farmers in Lagos State can now heave a sigh of relief as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Sunday 17th of December, 2023 inaugurated a Middle Level Fresh Food Hub in Idi-Oro, Mushin area of the state with a pledge to replicate the same in Agege, Ajah and Abule-Ado, from next year.
This facility, the first in the state, heralds a turning point in the State’s Food System Transformation Agenda which was adopted as a measure to improve the current system which is inundated by wastage, post-harvest losses, traffic congestion, and other inefficiencies that result in the loss of over 50% of agricultural produce, especially in perishables.
In his keynote address at the event, Governor Sanwo-Olu explained that this transformation journey is hinged on the State’s 5-year Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap (2021-2026) which reflects its passionate commitment to boosting food production, processing, and marketing.
“This particular facility sited here in Mushin Idi-Oro, is on 6,400sq.m of land, with adequate car/truck parking area, and with centralized dry and cold storage systems, giving the market players the economies of scale to make decent profits, the Governor said.
”Finally, I appreciate the people of Mushin for being instrumental in the achievement of this feat. I invite other communities that have been slated for the implementation of this project to come on board, and partner with the Government so that more people across the State can enjoy the benefits of this programme”.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya explained that the Middle Level Fresh Food Hub is an attempt by the state government to simplify food distribution and ensure consumers get fresh food items at reasonable prices in a safe and conducive environment.
” This is the right way to go as a Country to ensure that food security is taken care of. Food security is not just about producing, if you do not take care of the market angle, which is what Lagos is to the rest of Nigeria, being the commercial nerve centre, taking care of 60% of commerce, being the fifth largest economy hub in the whole continent”, Olusanya noted.
In his welcome address, Chairman Mushin Local Government Area, Emmanuel Bamigboye commended Governor Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to grassroots projects such as the Fresh Food Hub which will reduce the vulnerability of food shortages, and drive down the prices of farm produce.
Also, a lawmaker representing Mushin Federal Constituency II, Oluwatoyin Fayinka, and the Iyaloja of Mushin, Toyibat Borokini, in their goodwill messages, commended the Sanwo-Olu administration for its efforts in ensuring food security and urged other Local Government Administrators to provide an enabling environment for the replication of such projects in their domains.
Blacktalker reported that the event was attended by the wife of the Governor, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat and his wife, Oluremi, Head of Service, Bode Agoro, Traditional and Religious Leaders, Farmers, Market Men, and Women, Consumers, Development Partners, among others.