The Eggs Sellers and Distributors Association of Nigeria has commended the Lagos government for establishing the Agege Fresh Food Hub.

The association, however, appealed to the government to include its members in supplying and distributing eggs at the facility.

ESDAN national president Olaide Graham made the call on Wednesday in Lagos.

The Lagos government recently inaugurated the Agege Fresh Food Hub to address post-harvest losses and strengthen food security.

The facility is the third in the state, following the Fresh Food Hub, Mushin, commissioned in December 2023, and the Abijo hub, commissioned earlier this year.

The hubs are designed to shorten supply chains, reduce unnecessary layers of intermediation, improve produce handling and make food distribution more efficient.

Ms Graham commended the state government for establishing the hubs, saying ESDAN is ready to partner with the government to ensure access to quality, affordable eggs.

“We at ESDAN congratulate the Lagos State Government, Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu and the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems on the launch of the Agege food hub.

“It is a great initiative. This is more than a market. It is a job. It is food, and it is the future. ESDAN, as the registered egg distributor in Nigeria, is ready to work with this hub to ensure every Lagos resident has access to quality and affordable eggs,” Ms Graham said.

According to Ms Graham, ESDAN was invited to the commissioning of the Agege Food Hub but was not asked to supply eggs for the event.

“We were at the commissioning of the Agege Food Hub, but we don’t know if we will be contracted to supply at the hub as an association. We noticed all the eggs displayed at the hub during the commissioning were supplied by farmers.

“They didn’t ask ESDAN to bring eggs. We want the state government to partner with ESDAN. Eggs are Nigeria’s most affordable complete proteins,” the president said.

She reiterated ESDAN’s commitment to supplying wholesome, quality eggs if contracted to supply the food hub.

“ESDAN members can guarantee daily supply to feed the hub. ESDAN will ensure quality, traceability and data for state food security planning. Our request to the government is tripartite: we want to be designated with Official Supplier Status as the preferred supplier of the hubs.

“We desire dedicated spaces, cold rooms and processing facilities for the Association at the hub. We also want contract priority for supplying all school feeding and institutional buyers with eggs,” she said.

According to Ms Graham, ESDAN wanted to be included alongside farmers in supplying eggs at the food hubs.

(NAN)