World Food Day: Sanwo-Olu announces 10% discount on Eko Rice
As part of activities marking the 2025 World Food Day, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced a 10% discount on Eko Rice and Eko Rice Classic — an initiative designed to make locally produced rice more affordable while celebrating the state’s progress in building a resilient food system.
According to a post from the Lagos State Government’s official X handle, the discount campaign, tagged “Mr Governor’s Eko Rice Special Discount for World Food Day,” will take place on Thursday at the Police College, Ikeja. Residents are invited to join the event, which seeks to promote the state’s food production drive and raise awareness about sustainable food systems.
The discount event comes amid week-long activities coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, led by Commissioner Abisola Olusanya. The celebration kicked off with a road walk on Wednesday to showcase Lagos’ agricultural achievements and encourage youth and citizen participation in shaping the state’s food security future.
Commissioner Olusanya reiterated that while Lagos may not be considered a traditionally agrarian state, the Sanwo-Olu administration has achieved notable milestones in food production, processing, and marketing. She emphasized that the state’s agricultural drive aims not only to ensure food availability but also to create opportunities for the younger generation to thrive within the agri-food space.
This year’s World Food Day theme, “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future,” aligns with Lagos State’s five-year Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap — a policy framework targeting 40% food self-sufficiency by 2025 through innovation, investment, and private-sector collaboration.
The World Food Day celebration will climax on Thursday with an exhibition and sales fair at the Police College Parade Ground, Ikeja, where residents will have the opportunity to purchase Eko Rice and other local produce at discounted prices.
Source: Punch
Expert Review for Agri-Food Stakeholders
Lagos State’s move to offer a 10% discount on Eko Rice during the World Food Day celebration is more than a symbolic gesture — it reflects an evolving policy direction towards market-driven food affordability and consumer engagement.
- Strengthening Local Consumption of Homegrown Rice:
By incentivizing consumers to choose Eko Rice over imported brands, Lagos is subtly reinforcing the “buy local” culture that sustains domestic processors and farmers. This kind of price-led engagement can boost brand loyalty for state-backed food products while supporting value chain sustainability. - Bridging Food Affordability and Awareness:
Amid inflationary pressures on food prices, the discount serves as a timely intervention to ease consumer spending while celebrating progress in local food production. It connects the public emotionally to the state’s food systems agenda — transforming policy communication into public participation. - Linking Policy Goals to the World Food Day Theme:
This initiative neatly ties into the global call for stronger partnerships for better food systems. Through such programmes, Lagos demonstrates how state-led food interventions can align with global food security goals while fostering local impact. - Advancing the Food Systems Roadmap:
The 40% food self-sufficiency target set under Lagos’ Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap is gradually being backed by tangible actions — from rice processing and aquaculture to logistics infrastructure and digital mechanisation. The Eko Rice discount is a small but visible indicator of a broader, systemic push toward domestic resilience.
Conclusion:
Beyond celebration, Lagos State’s World Food Day initiative illustrates how state governments can blend social impact with economic policy — promoting local production, citizen engagement, and sustainable consumption in one strategic move. If maintained and expanded, such market-driven interventions could become powerful tools for shaping Nigeria’s agri-food narrative.
