Lagos State is placing its bets on youth-driven innovation to tackle Nigeria’s food crisis, committing N150 million to empower agripreneurs developing solutions across the food system.
Abisola Olusanya, commissioner of the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, spoke at the Lagos Agrithon Grand Finale pitch competition on Thursday, highlighting the state’s support for young agripreneurs who are driving innovation in agriculture and food technology.
Olusanya emphasized that Lagos is not only funding startups but also fostering an ecosystem of collaboration. “We want to give them the kind of support that will scale and transcend their businesses to the next level,” she said. “But more importantly, it’s about creating an ecosystem of like-minded people where connection, partnership, and synergy can help businesses scale better.”
The commissioner noted that the state has made significant progress in building a community of mentors and advocates who inspire the next generation, from university and secondary school students to younger learners, about the opportunities in the agricultural and food sectors.
“We have mentors for our Lagos Agripreneurship Programme Lab and the Lagos Agric Scholars Programme,” Olusanya explained. “Through collective efforts and communal synergy, we’ve seen businesses partner, scale rapidly, and achieve bigger results. These connections show that we are on the right path.”
The initiative underscores Lagos State’s commitment to creating a robust pipeline of young agripreneurs capable of transforming Nigeria’s food system through innovation, collaboration, and strategic support.
