The Lagos State Government has splashed the sum of N150 million to the 2025 Agrithon finalists to ensure agricultural sustainability and systems in the state.

The fund was granted at the state’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems Agrinnovation Summit 2.0 held on Thursday in Lagos.

The finalists from the Lagos Agrithon were screened through various selection processes until the grand finale last week.

The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Sam Egube, reiterated the state’s commitment in building sustainability food systems to feed its growing population.

“The Lagos Agri-Innovation Summit, a gathering that embodies the very essence of our commitment to innovation, youth empowerment, and food security in Lagos.

“Today’s summit reaffirms Lagos State’s position as the agricultural innovation capital of Nigeria, where agriculture is seen not just as a business, but central to everything we do.

“When we launched the Lagos State Agricultural Food Systems Roadmap 2021-2025 it was with a clear mission to transform agriculture from subsistence to sustainability.

“We believe that we will control the entire value chain from producing the feed to the fingerlings and then come back to fund those farmers.

“And we will be there to acquire again everything those farmers have produced. So, the future is bright for our food security systems and we must come together to play our respective role through innovation,” Sanwo-Olu said.

The governor urged the awardees to justify the grants by using it to promote and boost agro-innovation in the state .

“We would like to say that the Agri-Innovation Club which we have started has emerged as one of the proudest of achievements under this roadmap.

READ ALSO: Nigeria’s livestock sector generates $32bn — FG  *Targets $94bn by 2035

PhotoNews: Snapshot of diverse news moments

“It is not merely a gathering of young agripreneurs. It is a movement of innovators, a community of thinkers and doers.

“One of our biggest challenges was how to attract the young, but as we look around the hall today, we have succeeded in attracting the young.

“As a symbol of our continued investment in youth-driven agriculture, we are giving about N150 million because the future belongs to our young people.

“To our Agrithon finalists, the future of Lagos agriculture and food systems is in your hands. Use these grants not just as rewards but as responsibilities to expand your ideas, empower others and create values that endure.

“To every young innovator across Lagos your creativity is the seed of our collective prosperity. Keep dreaming, keep building and keep believing.

“Each of these projects represents a deliberate step towards building an agricultural ecosystem that ensures food security, creates jobs and attracts investment in our food value chain,” the governor said.

On her part, the Lagos state Commissioner of Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms Abisola Olusanya, described the emergence of agro-innovators in the state as a dream come true.

“My vision in leading the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture & Food systems has always been about building a youth-led, resilient and efficient machinery .

“Where young agri-business owners, creators, and thinkers come together to form an ecosystem of innovation and enterprise that transforms how Lagos grows, processes, distributes, and consumes food.

“This vision sits at the heart of our theme this year, “Thriving Systems for a Smarter Future.”

“This is because feeding a city of over 24 million people is not the work of one person or one institution — it is the work of a system, a living, breathing network.

“That is why the Agrinnovation Club was created, to serve as a bridge between young agripreneurs and the broader agricultural transformation agenda of Lagos State,” Olusanya said.

She also said: “I have seen glimpses of this future already – young innovators turning rooftops into farms, converting waste into feed, creating tech platforms that connect farmers and buyers in seconds.

“These stories remind us that transformation does not begin with grand gestures; it begins with one idea, one connection, one act of courage.

“This summit is about nurturing those beginnings through partnerships, mentorship, access to resources, supportive policies, and the unwavering belief that your ideas matter — we are building the foundation for something extraordinary,” she said. NAN