The Federal Government has urged African countries to increase investment in transport and cold chain infrastructure through transparent and strategic public procurement to reduce post-harvest losses, strengthen food security and boost intra-African trade.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, made the call on Tuesday at the Africa Procurement and Supply Chain Summit and Awards 2026 held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Speaking on the theme, “Public Procurement is Live: Creating Opportunities for Sustainable Growth in Africa,” Ogunbiyi said governments should adopt transparent procurement models to invest in roads, railways, inland waterways, ports, cold-chain infrastructure, warehouses and digital logistics platforms that would connect producers to markets and unlock opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He also urged African governments to embrace digital procurement platforms, e-contract management, artificial intelligence, data analytics, blockchain technology and smart logistics solutions, while strengthening regional collaboration to modernise procurement and supply chain systems across the continent.

According to him, strategic public procurement has become a critical tool for economic transformation rather than a routine administrative function.

He noted that governments spend between 12 and 20 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through public procurement, making every procurement decision an opportunity to stimulate industrial growth, create jobs, improve infrastructure and deliver greater value to citizens.

Ogunbiyi said the agricultural sector remained one of the biggest beneficiaries of efficient procurement, stressing that logistics and supply chain gaps continue to fuel food losses, increase production costs and drive up food prices across Africa.

He identified poor transport networks, inadequate logistics infrastructure, fragmented cross-border systems, high freight costs, limited warehousing facilities and delays in the movement of goods as major obstacles to economic growth and regional competitiveness.

“For farmers, these challenges are even more pronounced. Farmers depend on efficient logistics to receive seeds, fertilisers, machinery and extension services on time. Likewise, harvested produce must move quickly from farms to aggregation centres, processing facilities, storage hubs and markets,” he said.

He added that weak logistics and transportation systems contribute significantly to post-harvest losses, reduce farmers’ incomes, increase food prices and threaten food security across the continent.

The Permanent Secretary stressed that strengthening transparent, technology-driven procurement systems and resilient supply chains was essential to achieving the aspirations of Agenda 2063 and maximising opportunities under the AfCFTA.

He disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security was leveraging procurement as a strategic tool for implementing President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by supporting agricultural productivity, mechanisation, irrigation development, storage and processing infrastructure as well as competitive agricultural value chains.

Ogunbiyi assured stakeholders that procurement activities within the ministry would continue to comply with the Public Procurement Act 2007 and would be guided by transparency, integrity, due process, competition and effective contract management.

He also highlighted ongoing reforms aimed at digitising procurement processes, strengthening monitoring and evaluation, professionalising procurement officers and deepening stakeholder engagement.

The summit featured an awards ceremony recognising individuals and organisations for outstanding contributions to procurement and supply chain management across Africa.

Ogunbiyi congratulated the award recipients and called for stronger collaboration in building procurement and supply chain systems capable of delivering value for money, improving public trust, enhancing logistics, supporting food security and driving sustainable economic growth across the continent.