***Produce for Lagos Hailed as Food Security, Economic Model
The Federal Government has thrown its weight behind the Produce for Lagos Programme and its ₦500 billion Offtake Guarantee Fund, describing the initiative as a game-changer for agricultural investment, urban food security, and economic resilience.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony in Lagos, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, said the initiative signals a new era of bankable agriculture, where risks are reduced and value chains are strengthened from farm to city.
Represented by Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, Edun noted that the programme aligns directly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places agriculture at the heart of Nigeria’s economic transformation.
“The Offtake Guarantee Fund is a bold policy signal — telling every farmer their efforts are now sustainable, every agribusiness their risks are reduced, and every investor that agriculture is no longer guesswork but smart economics,” he stated.
The ₦500 billion fund, he added, will serve as a financial buffer — absorbing market shocks, protecting producers, and unlocking private capital for large-scale food production.
The Produce for Lagos model aims to tap into the city’s massive food demand — estimated at over ₦5 trillion annually — by establishing reliable sourcing partnerships with farming communities nationwide. This, Edun said, will build bridges between urban centres and rural economies, promote inter-state cooperation, and tackle food inflation.
“We are not just feeding Lagos. We are building an agricultural economy that connects traders, processors, transporters, and farmers into a unified national growth engine,” he said.
Edun listed complementary Federal Government programmes supporting the broader vision, including: The National Agricultural Growth Scheme & Agro-Pocket Programme (NAGS-AP),
The Presidential CNG Initiative, and the development of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs).
He also highlighted the ongoing $1 billion Green Imperative Project with Brazil, which will provide 10,000 tractors and agro-processing technologies to modernize farming nationwide.
Praising Lagos for its leadership, Edun urged other sub-national governments to adopt similar models tailored to their strengths.
“This is not just a Lagos success story in the making. It is a national prototype for food security, employment, and investment,” he said.
He concluded by calling on all stakeholders — from the public to private sector — to rally around the programme as a shared national priority.