Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Heirs Holdings founder, Tony Elumelu, has donated N25 billion to support the Produce for Lagos Programme, a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening food security and agricultural value chains in Lagos State.
Mr Elumelu made the announcement on Wednesday during the official launch of the programme, held in Lagos and spearheaded by the Lagos Food Systems and Logistics Hub, under the ministry of agriculture and food systems.
The initiative, launched alongside a N500 billion offtake guarantee fund, is part of the broader Lagos State Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap (2021–2025) and seeks to establish a reliable, structured flow of food supplies into the state, leveraging data-driven logistics and state partnerships.
Speaking at the event, Elumelu described the donation as an investment in Nigeria’s future, particularly for its youth population.
“In a few years’ time, this initiative will help us face the challenge of joblessness among our young ones,” he said.
“We believe that joblessness is a great problem. Our youth shouldn’t be unemployed when we have so much arable land.”
Elumelu reaffirmed the commitment of his organisations, UBA, Heirs Holdings, Transcorp Group and the Tony Elumelu Foundation to supporting the government’s agricultural development efforts.
“Whatever Your Excellency wants us to do at UBA, Transcorp, Tony Elumelu Foundation, and Heirs Holdings, we will do. This is our initiative. Let’s work together and make it happen,” he said.
Commissioner for agriculture and food systems, Abisola Olusanya, said the Produce for Lagos Programme will address the informal, often uncoordinated, inflow of food into the state by introducing a framework for monitoring and optimising supply chains.
She noted that Lagos currently consumes over 50% of food imported into Nigeria and must take proactive steps to safeguard its food supply.
“This programme is designed to improve supply chain efficiency, reduce food costs and post-harvest losses, guarantee market access for farmers, and create sustainable livelihoods across the agricultural value chain,” Olusanya said.
She added that it aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places emphasis on agriculture and food security as cornerstones of national development.
In March 2024, Lagos and Niger states signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate the steady production and transportation of food into Lagos, Nigeria’s most populous urban centre.
The Produce for Lagos Programme is expected to expand such state-to-state collaborations, creating a national agricultural ecosystem with Lagos as a major offtaker.
Industry experts and stakeholders at the launch hailed the N25bn donation as a bold private-sector endorsement of the state’s long-term food systems strategy.
