FG Unveils Initiative To Curb N3.5tn Post Harvest Losses
Nigeria has launched the Postharvest Systems Transformation Program (NiPHaST), a multibillion-naira initiative designed to cut massive food losses, stabilize prices, and strengthen farmer livelihoods.
The program was unveiled in Dakar, Senegal, during the Nigeria Legacy Program at the Africa Food Systems Forum, organized in partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said Nigeria loses an estimated ₦3.5tn annually to postharvest inefficiencies, with smallholder farmers worst affected.
“This is not just produce going to waste, it is opportunity lost and livelihoods destroyed,” he stressed.
NiPHaST will focus on household storage technologies, community-managed warehouses, cold rooms, and modern silos built through public–private partnerships.
These interventions, according to the minister, will help reduce waste, stabilize food prices, attract investment, and secure food sovereignty.
Kyari also emphasized the need for stronger international collaboration, arguing that transforming postharvest systems will not only secure farmer incomes but also boost agribusiness confidence and position Nigeria as West Africa’s leading food supplier.
The Dakar event drew wide participation from high-level stakeholders, including Jigawa State Governor Mal. Umar Namadi, the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Muktar Maiha, Dr. Kingsley Uzoma, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness, Mohammed Abu Ibrahim, Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), and Arc. Kabir Ibrahim, President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (NABG), among others.
Stakeholders at the forum expressed support for NiPHaST, noting that its success would significantly strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, uplift smallholders, and align with Africa’s broader food security ambitions.
FG Unveils Initiative To Curb N3.5tn Post Harvest Losses is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
