The 2025 Lagos Food Festival, held at Muri Okunola Park, was more than a celebration of cuisine; it was a vibrant display of the state government’s commitment to food security, cultural diversity, and economic empowerment for entrepreneurs in the food sector.2 Under the theme “Taste Without Borders,” the festival successfully showcased Lagos’s diverse culinary scene.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who attended and even participated as “Chef Jide” by cooking a seafood rice dish, emphasized the event’s dual purpose: family engagement and business promotion.
The Governor highlighted the extensive work done by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems over the preceding eleven months, noting numerous interventions and empowerment initiatives that have positively impacted Agripreneurs and the entire food value chain.
“The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems have done so much this year, they have empowered a lot of entrepreneurs… in a bid to continue to put innovators and aggregators in the food business to give them an opportunity to be independent and to do well as entrepreneurs,” Governor Sanwo-Olu stated.
He added that the government is focused on designing programs that uplift citizens and encourage different skills, stressing a continued commitment to food security to keep Lagos safe and welcoming.
Abisola Olusanya, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, noted that the fifth edition of the festival is an “embodiment of what Lagos stands for,” particularly its fusion of culinary culture with entertainment.6
The festival serves as a crucial platform that allows food actors in the state to:
Get Connected and Network: Facilitating business expansion “beyond borders.”
Celebrate Diversity: Showcasing the state’s multicultural identity through food.
Solidify Interventions: Providing an avenue for the Ministry to highlight the success of its programs and celebrate the people who ensure food supply in Lagos.
The event, where encouragement from the Governor can turn food actors into “many stars,” successfully utilized food as an artistic medium to tell the cosmopolitan Lagos story while creating real opportunities for young talent and transforming businesses.
