Bago shocks Southwest: Niger to halt live cattle supply to Lagos, Ogun

Nigeria continues to lose significant economic value by exporting raw agricultural commodities instead of processed goods, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has warned.

Speaking at the First Bank 2025 Agric and Export Expo in Lagos on Tuesday, Sanwo-Olu said the nation’s agricultural exports remain far below potential because farmers lack access to adequate financing and value-addition infrastructure.

Despite Nigeria’s rising crop output, he lamented, the country still primarily exports unprocessed goods, thereby forfeiting wealth, jobs, and global market competitiveness that come with processing, packaging, and branding.

“The global marketplace is not waiting for Nigeria,” Sanwo-Olu said. “Other African countries are aggressively positioning their agricultural products, securing market share, and attracting investments into agribusiness. If Nigeria must take its rightful place, we must be strategic and relentless in driving non-oil exports.”

The Lagos governor stressed that while his administration had invested heavily in transport infrastructure, ports modernization, and digital trade platforms, financing remains the most critical barrier.

“Export competitiveness requires access to finance. Without it, we will continue exporting raw commodities and losing real wealth,” he added.

Sanwo-Olu also commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for renewed efforts to boost non-oil exports, noting that quarterly export reports showed increased movement of farm produce abroad.

However, he maintained that greater value would be derived only if exports were shipped in finished forms.

“Lagos is the launchpad for Nigeria’s engagement with the global economy,” he said. “Most of the nation’s exports pass through Lagos ports and logistics corridors. This places a responsibility on us to create an enabling environment for agribusiness and value addition.”

Also speaking, Niger State Governor Umar Bago emphasized that nations exporting raw products without processing inevitably lose economic value.

He announced plans to stop the direct supply of live cows to Lagos and Ogun markets, saying Niger would instead process meat locally and deliver frozen products to the southwest.

“We will process our meat in Niger so that our farmers reap the full benefits of their labour. This way, the value and pricing will be in our hands,” Bago said.

He further pledged to increase land allocated to Lagos for agricultural production from 20,000 hectares to 100,000 hectares — a move expected to significantly boost food output and interstate collaboration.

Themed “The Fundamentals of Building an Export-Driven Economy,” the First Bank Expo brought together policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs to explore strategies for diversifying Nigeria’s economy away from oil dependence.