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 aimed at reducing Nigeria’s annual agricultural losses of N3.5 trillion. The collaboration was highlighted during a validation workshop in Abuja, held to review the Market and Business Case Analysis for Priority Post-Harvest Technologies under the Nigeria Post-Harvest Legacy Programme.
The initiative seeks to modernise Nigeria’s mid-stream agricultural segment and advance the country’s commitments under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme. Agriculture contributes about 24 per cent to Nigeria’s GDP and employs over 40 per cent of the labour force, particularly in rural communities. However, post-harvest losses for perishable crops remain as high as 60 per cent, significantly affecting food availability and farmer incomes.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said previous interventions largely focused on production, leaving gaps along the post-harvest value chain. “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,” he said. “Today’s validation of the NiPHAST business case marks a shift toward a demand-led, technology-driven approach. Mobilising the $2.8 billion portfolio identified in this report will not only save food but also create thousands of jobs for youth and women, stabilise market prices, and strengthen value chain resilience nationwide.”
AGRA Director, Dr. Rufus Idris, represented by Mr. Theophilus Raymond, highlighted the importance of private-sector participation and innovative financing mechanisms in scaling post-harvest technologies. “The business case is clear: post-harvest technology in Nigeria is a bankable frontier,” he said, noting solutions such as appropriate storage systems for perishables and the Warehouse Receipt System for grains, which provide sustainable pathways for MSMEs to thrive. AGRA will ensure these technologies reach last-mile farmers, improving livelihoods and encouraging inclusive participation across agricultural communities.
Dr Lekan Tobe, Country Director of Heifer Nigeria, added that prioritising post-harvest management would significantly boost productivity, improve incomes, and enhance national food security through better preservation, aggregation, and market access for agricultural produce.
The study underpinning the initiative mapped 72 storage facilities across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and identified nine high-impact investment nodes, including hermetic bag production, solar-powered cold rooms, and smart metal silos. Projected internal rates of return exceed 40 per cent, with payback periods as short as two years, demonstrating strong potential for private investment in post-harvest infrastructure.
Participants validated a framework for commercialising post-harvest service enterprises, enabling MSMEs and cooperatives to provide fee-based drying and storage services at market hubs with incubation support. Fiscal incentives, including import duty waivers and tax relief for equipment, were recommended, alongside a focus on women-led cooperatives and youth-driven digital monitoring tools to promote inclusive agricultural transformation.
Stakeholders said the roadmap would professionalise agricultural storage into an investment-ready ecosystem, supported by a national network of laboratories and aggregation warehouses, ultimately enhancing food safety, stabilising prices, and boosting the resilience of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.