Speaking on Sunday during the 2025 Lagos Food Festival at Muri Okunola Park, Victoria Island, Governor Sanwo-Olu joined participants in cooking and tasting seafood rice with stir-fried spinach. The event, themed “Taste Beyond Borders,” featured a wide array of local and international delicacies, live music, and interactive activities for residents.
“The Lagos Food Festival is part of the activities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems. They have carried out a lot of activations and interventions in the agriculture and food security space,” Sanwo-Olu said. “They have empowered many entrepreneurs and continued to support innovators in the food business, giving them opportunities to grow and thrive as entrepreneurs. But beyond that, this festival allows families to come out, enjoy themselves and experience the exhibition of various food cultures. Food is one of the ways we tell the Lagos story.”
The governor emphasized that the festival not only promotes entrepreneurship in the catering and food industry but also fosters unity and cultural appreciation across the state. “I cooked seafood rice with stir-fried spinach and tasted my own cooking. The food festival is about families coming together, encouraging people in the food and catering space, and using food to showcase the uniqueness of Lagos,” he added.
On the same day, Sanwo-Olu visited an art exhibition featuring about 40 wall paintings by local artists. He described the works as a reflection of Lagos’ creativity and reiterated the need to continue supporting diverse skills and professions. “We must continue to lift people up and encourage different skills and professions so that Lagos can remain safe and a home for everyone,” he said.
Ms. Abisola Olusanya, Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, described the festival as a celebration of Lagos’ cultural diversity and culinary heritage. “Lagos Food Festival is a celebration of everything Lagos — our culinary culture, traditions, entertainment, and all that makes Lagos what it is. Lagos is diverse and multicultural, and food embodies that diversity. As the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, we are the curators and custodians of this celebration,” she said.
Olusanya noted that the festival provides exposure for food value chain actors, giving many emerging entrepreneurs a platform to gain recognition. “This festival helps to give visibility to our food actors. Many stars have emerged from the Lagos Food Festival, simply because the governor cooks, tastes their food and gives words of encouragement,” she explained. She added that the festival also consolidates the ministry’s interventions over the years and celebrates everyone involved in ensuring food availability across the state.
The event drew members of the State Executive Council and House of Assembly, current and former public office holders, political and traditional leaders, celebrity chefs, youths, vendors, and students from tertiary institutions. Several participants showcased their culinary skills, with winners receiving prizes for their exceptional creations.