By Abbas Nazil
Lagos State has rolled out 150 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered trucks to enhance food logistics and reduce post-harvest losses across the state.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu unveiled the trucks at the launch of the N500 billion ‘Produce for Lagos’ Offtake Guarantee Fund and Programme, an initiative aimed at streamlining the movement of food across the country into Lagos.
The trucks, all 40-footers, are designed to address the challenge of inefficient food transportation and poor storage that results in the loss of about half the food consumed in Lagos, which is Nigeria’s largest food market.
Sanwo-Olu said Lagos consumes over 50 percent of food traded across the Southwest region and operates within a food economy valued at over N6 trillion.
However, significant losses have persisted due to the inability to preserve and transport perishable goods effectively from farms to the final consumer.
With this new initiative, the state government seeks to build a reliable logistics network through the Lagos State Food Systems Infrastructure Company, enabling efficient and environmentally friendly movement of produce.
The governor described the initiative as part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which focuses on agricultural development and food self-sufficiency.
According to Sanwo-Olu, the introduction of CNG trucks not only supports the logistics challenge but also helps reduce fuel dependency.
The trucks are designed to travel to distant locations across Nigeria on a full tank of CNG and return to Lagos without refuelling, making them cost-efficient and sustainable for long-distance operations.
He said the trucks are the first of their kind in the country and would create a new agricultural ecosystem driven by well-focused policies, financial sustainability, and modern infrastructure.
The initiative also aims to spark private sector investment, with Sanwo-Olu noting that partners have already begun to express interest in supporting the program.
He highlighted that the N500 billion is only a starting point in what will become a long-term transformation of Lagos’ food supply chain.
Sanwo-Olu reiterated the state’s commitment to creating policies and infrastructure that will outlive current administrations and benefit future generations.
The trucks are expected to significantly reduce the volume of food wasted during transit and contribute to stabilizing food prices by ensuring consistent delivery from farm to market.
