The Lagos Food Security Systems and Central Logistics Park is a logistics centre under construction in Ketu-Ereyun, between Epe and Ikorodu. When completed, it will be the largest food logistics centre in sub-Saharan Africa.[1]
Background
editThe annual value of food transactions in Lagos is estimated at USD 10 billion. However, farmers lose 40% of their produce every day because there is no post-harvest storage infrastructure.[2]
When completed, the logistics centre is expected to provide direct income to more than five million traders in the agricultural value chain, while ensuring uninterrupted food supply to more than ten million Lagosians for at least ninety days in times of scarcity.[3]
The central food hub is expected to secure higher returns for farmers and agribusiness investors, cut out a number of middlemen and improve access to sophisticated processing and packaging services. The logistics centre is expected to help reduce logistics costs while ensuring standardisation of the quantity and quality of agricultural products. It is also expected to improve productivity and guarantee higher yields to farmers by eliminating several middlemen. It is expected to provide farmers with better access to modern processing and packaging services and generate useful data for government agencies, private sector actors and multilateral organisations.[4]
The use values from the logistics centre are also expected to enable the government to develop meaningful data for public planning and private sector investment forecasting.
The choice of location was significant for the project given its proximity to farming communities and ease of access.
Construction
edit
The plant is being built on a 1.2 million square metre site in Ketu-Ereyun, Epe.[5] The facility will store the contents of more than 1 500 trucks and is expected to meet the daily needs of tens of thousands of actors in the food value chain throughout the year.
Construction began in August 2022[6] and the project is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2024.
References
edit- ^ BADEWO, Gift (2022-08-24). "Lagos State has started constructing Africa's largest Food Security Systems and Central Logistics Park". TDPel Media. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ "Lagos logistics hub to boost N5tn food market". MSN. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ "Lagos plans to feed over 10m Lagosians through Central Food Security". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2022-08-28. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ NewsDirect (2022-08-26). "Over 15m people to benefit, as LASG kicks off food security systems & logistics hub". Nigeriannewsdirectcom. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ Atalawei, Mienyeseighe (2022-08-28). "Lagos State Food Security Systems and Central Logistics Hub construction begins". Construction Review Online. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ Gov Sanwo-Olu Flags Off Construction Of Biggest Food Security System And Logistics Hub, Epe, retrieved 2022-09-08