Nigeria Suffers $10bn in Post-Harvest Losses Each Year Due to Storage, Flooding – Ministe

Nigeria loses $10 billion a year in post-harvest losses due to inadequate storage and flooding, according to Abubakar Kyari, minister of agriculture and food security.

At the Green Legacy Rural Community Agriculture and Infrastructure Network (G.R.A.I.N) pulse center’s opening in Kangire community on Monday, Kyari gave a speech.

According to the minister, the loss is also caused by poor infrastructure, insufficient processing, soil degradation, climate change, and unpredictable rainfall.

Kyari claims that 70 percent of the nation’s food is produced by smallholder farmers, and that empowering them will strengthen the economy.

He pointed out that smallholder farmers produce the majority of Nigeria’s food, with agriculture accounting for almost 24% of the country’s GDP.

“We can unlock the full wealth of our land and people by providing smallholder farmers with modern tools, technology, and markets,” Kyari stated.

The minister emphasized that projects led by the private sector will fortify Nigeria’s food systems and increase their ability to withstand losses that occur after harvest.

According to him, the pulse center will serve as a comprehensive hub for rural development, infrastructure, and agriculture that spans the whole agricultural value chain.

Kyari restated that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is putting agriculture first as the cornerstone of the country’s change, with real-world initiatives supporting its goals.

Speaking as well, Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar praised the creation of these centers in Jigawa’s rural areas and emphasized the value of public-private partnerships in development.

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“Nigeria will gain from this microeconomy due to its many benefits, especially the incorporation of contemporary facilities and technologies,” Tuggar stated.

Tuggar praised Tinubu and Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi for making food security a top priority in their development plan.

Speaking as well, Namadi praised the Jigawa pulse center, stating that it will strengthen Kangire’s economy and show how agriculture-led development can improve rural areas.

He outlined the center’s salient characteristics, which include digitally connected hubs that support the full agricultural value chain and a solar-powered system.

According to the governor, his administration would keep making agriculture a top priority in order to improve livelihoods, build infrastructure, and generate jobs.

The chairman of the Birnin-Kudu local government area (LGA), where the center is located, Muhammad Uba, praised Namadi’s attempts to modernize Jigawa agriculture and voiced support for Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.