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…Unveils framework to secure food supply
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government has lamented that Nigeria loses an estimated N3.5 trillion every year to post-harvest inefficiencies, describing it as a massive drain that continues to impoverish smallholder farmers and retard the national food security momentum.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, who disclosed this at the recently concluded Africa Food Systems Forum in Dakar, Senegal, described the losses as a tragedy with far-reaching consequences.
According to him, the damage is not just about perished crops but also “lost opportunities and destroyed livelihoods” that could have lifted millions out of poverty. To address the problem, Kyari announced the unveiling of the Nigeria Post-harvest Systems Transformation Programme (NiPHaST), to stabilise food prices, ensure availability, accessibility, affordability of stable food, improve storage system as well as achieve national food sovereignty.
Kyari, who said the initiative is in partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), explained that the programme would focus on household storage technologies, community-level warehouses, cold rooms, and national silos managed through public–private partnerships, among others.
The minister, in a statement yesterday by the Head, Department of Information, Ezeaja Ikemefuna, pointed out that it would create robust investment in the storage value chain in terms of processing, preservation, packaging, marketing , climate, smart metal Silos, cold rooms, among others.
He added that the scheme would unlock private sector investment, strengthen market confidence, and expand storage infrastructure.
According to him, it would also improve agricultural exports, nutrition, household sales, job opportunities, farmers’ income, and wealth as well as achieve food import substitution in the agricultural ecosystem.
He called for stronger international collaboration, stressing that transforming post-harvest systems will secure farmer livelihoods, revive agribusiness confidence, and position Nigeria as a leading food supplier in West Africa.
The minister added that tackling post-harvest challenges requires a united front.
Kyari stressed that curbing wastage is central to President Bola Tinubu’s food security agenda, as it will boost farmers’ earnings, improve food availability and stabilise prices across the country.
In attendance at the summit were Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi; Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness, Dr. Kingsley Uzoma; Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Mohammed Abu Ibrahim, President, Nigeria Agribusiness Group and Kabir Ibrahim.
