By Gabriel Ewepu
ABUJA – THE federal government, weekend, said plans were to tackle post-harvest losses currently estimated at over N3.5 trillion.
To achieve this, the government unveiled the Nigeria Post-harvest Systems Transformation Programme, NiPHaST, to tackle the problem, with a view to promoting food production and preservation.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, who disclosed this at the Nigeria Legacy Programme, organized by the Africa Food Systems Forum, in partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, AGRA, in Dakar, Senegal, said in a statement issued by the ministry.
He explained that NiPHaST unveiling became imperative to ensure a resilient, efficient and inclusive post-harvest handling and storage system that reduces losses, enhance incomes as well as achieve food sovereignty.
According to him, NiPHaST would stabilise food prices, ensure availability, accessibility, affordability of stable food, improve storage system as well as achieve national food sovereignty
He also highlighted the fact that the programme basically would focus on household storage technologies, community-level warehouses, cold rooms, and strategic national silos managed through public–private partnerships, among others.
The minister expressed optimism that the programme would create robust investment in the storage value chain in terms of processing, preservation, packaging, marketing, climate, smart metal silos and cold rooms, mong others.
He added that the initiative would unlock private sector investment, strengthen market confidence, and expand storage infrastructure.
Kyari noted that the programme would also improve agricultural exports, nutrition, household sales, job opportunities, farmer’s income, and wealth as well as achieved food import substitution in the agricultural ecosystem.
He revealed that Nigeria loses an estimated ¦ 3.5 trillion annually to post-harvest inefficiencies, largely affecting smallholder farmers.
He said: “This is not just produce going to waste; it is opportunity lost and livelihoods destroyed.”
The minister called for stronger international collaboration, stressing that transforming post-harvest systems would secure farmer livelihoods, revive agribusiness confidence and position Nigeria as a leading food supplier in West Africa.
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