The European Union (EU)has revealed that Nigeria wastes about 38 million tonnes of food annually, the highest on the African continent, as it joined the Federal Government and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to demand urgent action to curb food waste and promote sustainable consumption.
The partners warned that massive food waste was worsening climate change, draining valuable resources and undermining efforts to build a sustainable and circular economy.
Speaking in Abuja at the commemoration of this year’s International Zero Waste Day, themed “Food Waste Reduction – Minimisation and Valorisation,” the Deputy Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Zissimos Vergos, said the scale of food waste in Nigeria and globally was alarming.
He disclosed that Nigeria wastes roughly 38 million tonnes of food every year, stressing that the environmental and economic implications are enormous.
He said: “Globally, in 2022 alone, nearly one billion tonnes of food, almost one fifth of all food available to consumers, was wasted.
“This is not just a loss of food, it is a squandering of precious resources, a missed opportunity to combat hunger, and a direct threat to our planet’s health.”
He further warned that food loss and waste
were major drivers of environmental degradation.
“Food loss and waste are major drivers of environmental degradation, contributing up to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, nearly five times the emissions of the entire aviation sector, and accounting for as much as 40 percent of global methane emissions.”
Highlighting Nigeria’s policy initiatives, Vergos commended the government for taking structural steps towards a circular economy.
“The Nigeria circular Economy Roadmap, the establishment of the Interministerial Circular Economy Committee, the push to develop a National Plastic Waste Management Regulation, these are not small gestures. These are structural shifts.
“These signal that Nigeria is not waiting for someone else to solve its problem; it is building the system to solve it from within.
“Now, today’s theme, food waste reduction, minimization and valorization, is the right conversation in the right moment.”
Drawing from the EU’s experience, Vergos proposed three major actions Nigeria should prioritise to reduce food waste and improve food security.
“First, invest in rural roads, storage, and cold chains to fix the ‘last mile’ beyond the farm, second promote the processing of fresh produce into value-added products like tomato paste and cassava flour by linking smallholder farmers to processors and markets.
“Lastly, embed zero waste, recycling, and resource saving into the school curriculum from primary level to build a sustainable culture in the next generation.”
Vergos reaffirmed the EU’s readiness to partner with Nigeria in tackling the problem saying, “The EU stands ready to be your partner in that work, through funding, through technical cooperation, and through genuine solidarity.”
In his keynote address, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to environmental protection and sustainable resource management.
He noted that food waste has far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s environment, economy and social wellbeing.
“Food waste remains a significant challenge that affects not only our environment, but also our economy and society.
“Every discarded meal represents wasted resources such as water, energy, labour, and capital, while Nigerians continue to face food insecurity.
“Addressing food waste is therefore central to sustainable development and ensuring a healthier future for all.”
The Minister disclosed that the government has already initiated targeted interventions to tackle food waste, particularly in major markets.
“The Federal Ministry of Environment, in this year’s national appropriation, has developed projects on food waste elimination in major markets around Nigeria.
“And this is to show you that the Federal Ministry of Environment is tackling the issues of food waste at its core, especially post-harvest losses.”
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