- Lagos hosts Agrinnovation Summit 2.0, reinforcing its role as Africa’s emerging agritech leader
- Governor Sanwo-Olu’s representative, Sam Egube, declares food security “as critical as physical security”
- Lagos Agrithon 2025 awards ₦150 million in grants to young agrifood innovators
Lagos State strengthened its continental leadership in agricultural technology on Thursday as government officials, innovators, investors, and industry players gathered at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, for the Lagos Agrinnovation Summit 2.0 themed “Thriving Food Systems: Smart Future.”
Eko Hot Blog reports that the event highlighted the State’s drive to build a modern, resilient and innovation-led food ecosystem capable of meeting the demands of its fast-growing population.
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Representing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Sam Egube, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to food security, describing it as a priority comparable to public safety.
“Food security is as critical as physical security,” he said, emphasizing that guaranteeing safe, affordable and sufficient food for more than 20 million Lagos residents remains a central focus of government.
Egube described Lagos as “West Africa’s largest food market,” and urged stakeholders to unlock new opportunities across the agricultural value chain, transforming the sector into “a place where dreams meet innovation.”
He also praised financial institutions for “fueling agribusiness growth through inclusive financing and impact-driven partnerships.”
Delivering the keynote address, MD/CEO of Sterling Bank, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, announced new funding pipelines targeting agritech and agribusiness ventures.
He stated that the bank is “moving beyond conventional lending” to support transformative solutions capable of strengthening Lagos’ agricultural value chain. Suleiman also stressed the need for strong public oversight “to stabilize food prices and protect consumers from exploitative market forces.”
Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, described the summit as a fertile gathering for young innovators leveraging digital tools, data intelligence and design thinking to reshape agriculture.
“The future of agriculture is youthful, digital and dynamic,” she said, reiterating Lagos’ continued investment in youth-led agricultural innovation.
Panel sessions examined persistent industry barriers such as land access, post-harvest losses, food waste, and logistics constraints.
Experts identified opportunities in cold-chain development, sustainable packaging, data analytics, logistics optimization and customer-driven product design — components they believe are critical to building a smart, future-ready food sector.
A major highlight of the summit was the recognition of the winners of the Lagos Agrithon 2025, a ₦150 million grant initiative supporting groundbreaking agrifood ideas.
Thirty-six finalists pitched their innovations, with entrepreneurs receiving between ₦1 million and ₦7.5 million to scale their solutions. Organizers described the winners as “the next generation of Lagos agripreneurs turning ideas into real-world impact.”
As the summit concluded, stakeholders agreed that Lagos is rapidly positioning itself not just as Nigeria’s leading agricultural innovation hub, but as a continental force shaping competitive, technology-driven and efficient food systems.
In Lagos today, agriculture is no longer just about growing food — it is about growing the future.
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