TACKLING FOOD WASTE AND LOSS
Government should invest heavily in cold chain equipment and services For years, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) have warned repeatedly that millions
The Government should prioritize substantial investment in cold chain equipment and services to combat the alarming issue of food waste and loss in Nigeria. Despite repeated warnings from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) that millions of Nigerians face the threat of hunger, the root cause lies not in insufficient food cultivation but in substantial losses and waste at various stages.
Recent data from the Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA) reveals that Nigeria incurred billions of naira in post-harvest losses in 2025, with an estimated 30 to 40 million metric tonnes of food lost across major value chains, primarily due to tomatoes, vegetables, fruits, dairy, meat, fish, and root crops. This economic loss ranges from N3.5 trillion to N5 trillion.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report published in November 2024, approximately two-thirds of households in Nigeria struggle to afford healthy, nutritious, or preferred foods due to financial constraints. Additionally, 63.8% of households consume limited types of food, while 62.4% express concerns about food scarcity, and 60.5% consume less than they believe they should.
As Nigeria commemorates the 2026 International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, it is crucial to acknowledge the significant contribution of wasted food to hunger in the country.
Experts warn that this persistent challenge in the agricultural sector has gone unaddressed by successive administrations. The World Bank estimates that Nigeria loses and wastes 40% of its total food production annually. Inefficient cold storage, poor logistics, and weak infrastructure exacerbate the problem, leading to the loss and waste of substantial food volumes.
Mr. Alexander Isong, President of OTACCWA, emphasizes that post-harvest loss is not solely an agricultural issue but an infrastructure and economic challenge. He highlights that farmers have invested heavily in land preparation, seedlings, fertilizers, labor, irrigation, and transportation, only to see their produce lost due to inadequate cold storage and logistics systems.
Post-harvest loss is categorized into production and supply chain losses occurring after harvest on farms, and waste at the consumption level through retail, food service, and household levels. Fresh farm products like cowpea, garlic, pepper, onions, maize, potatoes, tomatoes, and numerous others lose their nutrient value rapidly without refrigeration.
Many of these perishable items have a short shelf life, resulting in significant waste. Power supply issues further compound the problem, as 37% of Nigerian agricultural production requiring refrigeration is lost due to inefficient or nonexistent cold chains. The financial burden of food spoilage due to a lack of cold storage amounts to about 25% of small-scale farmers' annual income.
Addressing this multifaceted challenge requires more than merely documenting its scale. Postdoctoral Research Associate Ifeoluwa Abulude from the Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, argues that tackling food loss demands integrated approaches. The theme for the 2026 International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, "Transformative Potential of Reducing Food Loss and Waste," presents another opportunity to confront this dual challenge in a nation where many citizens suffer from hunger.
Written by urgent.news from This Day's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
