Tony Elumelu, Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), has donated N25 billion to support the Produce for Lagos Programme, an initiative aimed at enhancing food security and promoting economic development in Lagos State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the programme was launched on Wednesday in Lagos, with Abisola Olusanya, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, officially unveiling the initiative along with a N500 billion offtake guarantee fund.
According to Olusanya, the Produce for Lagos Programme is designed to strengthen ties with major food-producing states, improve supply chain efficiency, reduce food costs and post-harvest losses, guarantee market access for farmers and agribusinesses, and create sustainable livelihoods across the agricultural value chain.
“This is in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, which prioritises agriculture and food security as national goals,” she said.
Elumelu, who announced the N25 billion donation during the launch, expressed his commitment to supporting the initiative.
“In a few years time, it will help us face the challenge of joblessness of our young ones,” he said. “We believe that joblessness is a great problem of our young people. They shouldn’t be jobless, we have arable lands.”
He urged all stakeholders to collaborate and bring the vision to life, describing it as “our initiative”.
The commissioner noted that the programme positions Lagos as a reliable off-taker and strategic partner in building a resilient and integrated agricultural economy.
The initiative is part of the Lagos State Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap, which was launched in 2021.
