Firm raises concern over 40 per cent post harvest losses amid food insecurity

A non-governmental organisation, Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Ltd, has raised concerns over the yearly loss of 40 per cent agricultural produce amid food scarcity in the country.

The Managing Partner of Sahel consulting, Mr. Temitope Adegoroye, raised the concerns at the 2024 Sahel Food Systems Changemakers conference organised by German International Corporation (GIZ) , Center for Journalism Innovation and Development, among other organisations.

Citing the recent statistics from the World Food Programme, Adegoroye said a huge number of the Nigeria’s population is facing acute hunger, while 43.7 million are adopting crisis-level or worst coping strategies.

He said the nation’s food inflation, which stood at 40.87 per cent in June, further eroded the purchasing powers and limiting access to affordable and nutrition food.

Adegoroye, who identified Nigeria as the largest population in Africa with over 200 million people, said 70 per cent of its households are actively involved in agricultural activities.

“In spite of the large percentage of the populace involvement in agriculture, the country faces 40 per cent wastage of its yearly agricultural produce.’’

He said the post-harvest wastage highlighted a significant opportunity for value addition and improved processing within the sector.

“Nigeria’s food security crisis is a key aspect of the nation’s broader social and economic instability, presenting a dilemma of food affordability, accessibility and availability,” he said.

According to the Board Chairman of the firm, Mezuo Nwuneli, the conference with the theme: “Innovative Governance Models: A Pathway for Food and Nutrition Security in Nigeria,” is a landmark event focused on addressing Africa’s food system and fostering innovative solutions to drive sustainable agriculture.

He said food and nutrition security are paramount and cannot be achieved in isolation but by the concerned efforts of all and sundry.