Abuja: The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has partnered with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to scale priority post-harvest technologies to curb Nigeria’s annual agricultural losses of N3.5 trillion.
The partnership was highlighted at a workshop held by both groups to review Market and Business Case Analysis for Priority Post-Harvest Technologies in Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.
The event, under the Nigeria Postharvest Legacy Programme, is designed to modernise the nation’s midstream agricultural segment and fulfil its commitments under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme‘s framework goals.
Nigeria’s agricultural sector contributes about 24 per cent to the national Gross Domestic Product and employs more than 40 per cent of the labour force, especially in rural communities nationwide.
However, post-harvest losses, particularly for perishable crops, reach up to 60 per cent, drastically reducing food availability and costing the economy about N3.5 trillion a year.
Tackling this loss is the partnership’s central focus. of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said previous interventions focused largely on production, leaving gaps along the post-harvest value chain that reduced farmers’ incomes and threatened national food security.
“For too long, our efforts have focused primarily on production, leaving a vacuum in the post-harvest value chain that erodes farmer incomes and threatens our national food security,” Kyari said.
The validation of the NiPHAST business case signals a transition toward a demand-led, technology-driven approach, according to the minister.
By leveraging the 2.8 billion-dollar funding portfolio identified, our approach reduces food losses and creates jobs for youth and women, helping address this urgent challenge.
also stabilising market prices for millions of Nigerians while strengthening the resilience of our agricultural value chains nationwide,” he further explained.
Earlier, Dr Rufus Idris, AGRA Nigeria Country Director, was represented by Mr Theophilus Raymond, who emphasised the importance of private-sector participation and innovative financing mechanisms for effectively scaling post-harvest technologies nationwide.
“The business case is clear: post-harvest technology in Nigeria is a bankable frontier,” Idris outlined opportunities from storage systems for perishables to the Warehouse Receipt System for grains, noting these models offer sustainable paths for MSMEs to thrive.
“AGRA remains committed to supporting the Federal Government in creating an enabling environment through blended finance and policy alignment,” he said.
IIdris said AGRA will ensure these technologies reach last-mile farmers, improving livelihoods and strengthening food systems with broader participation.
Dr Lekan Tobe, Heifer Nigeria Country Director, said better post-harvest management would raise productivity and help Nigeria reach sustainable food security.
At Heifer, post-harvest losses are one of our thematic focus areas, aligned with the Federal Government’s priorities.
“We work with farmers and stakeholders to raise awareness about cutting post-harvest loss.“This will boost productivity, raise incomes, and strengthen food security by improving preservation, aggregation, and market access for produce, Tobe added.
The study mapped 72 storage facilities across the six geopolitical zones and identified 9 high-impact investment nodes, including hermetic bag production, solar-powered cold rooms, and smart metal silos for deployment.
Findings indicated projected internal rates of return exceeding 40% and payback periods as short as 2 years, demonstrating strong potential for private investment in post-harvest infrastructure.
Participants approved a plan for commercial post-harvest services, allowing small businesses and cooperatives to offer paid drying and storage services at market centres, with start-up support.
They also advocated fiscal incentives, including import duty waivers and tax relief for equipment, while prioritising women-led cooperatives and youth-driven digital monitoring tools to sustainably promote inclusive agricultural transformation nationwide.
Stakeholders agreed the roadmap would make agricultural storage professional, investment-ready, and key to reducing losses, with national labs and warehouses supporting food safety and price stability.
