…40 million Tonnes Of Food Wasted Yearly
…Poor Energy Supply, Lack Of Cold Storage Blamed
Daud Olatunji
Nigeria loses an estimated ₦3.5 trillion annually to post-harvest losses, with between 30 million and 40 million metric tonnes of food going to waste before reaching consumers, the Bank of Agriculture has disclosed.
The bank attributed the huge losses to inadequate access to reliable electricity and the absence of cold-chain infrastructure, warning that the situation is worsening food inflation, reducing farmers’ incomes and undermining the country’s agricultural potential.
The disclosure was made during a two-day workshop on the Clean Energy Access Framework (CEAF) held in Kaduna. The programme was organised by the BoA in collaboration with DalaHill LP, with support from the Africa Climate Foundation, to strengthen the bank’s capacity to finance clean energy solutions for agriculture.
Presenting the framework, the Head of the Bank’s Clean Energy Delivery and Implementation Unit, Dr. Adnan Aminu, said Nigeria’s energy deficit had become a major constraint to agricultural productivity, food security and rural economic growth.
According to figures presented at the workshop, Nigeria loses between $2.3 billion and $3.3 billion, equivalent to about ₦3.5 trillion, annually as a result of post-harvest losses.
The presentation further showed that fruits and vegetables account for 40 to 50 per cent of the total losses, while nearly 50 per cent of onion harvests are wasted every year due to the lack of cold storage facilities.
It added that more than 40 per cent of post-harvest losses are directly linked to energy poverty.
The bank warned that unless Nigeria develops certified cold-chain systems, it would continue to battle rising food prices, declining earnings for farmers and weak competitiveness in the international agricultural market.
“Without certified cold-chain systems, Nigeria will continue to struggle with food inflation, reduced farmer income and limited export competitiveness,” the presentation stated.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the workshop, Aminu said the Bank of Agriculture was developing a financing framework that would enable farmers and agribusinesses to access loans for clean energy technologies capable of reducing post-harvest losses.
He said improved access to renewable energy-powered storage and processing facilities would help preserve farm produce, boost farmers’ earnings and strengthen food security.
Also speaking, the Project Manager at DalaHill LP, Toby Ilori, said the initiative was designed to bridge the gap between climate finance and agriculture by providing the technical and legal frameworks needed to unlock investment in clean energy.
According to him, Nigeria’s vast agricultural potential has continued to be hampered by poor energy supply affecting production, processing, storage and exports.
“This initiative is designed to provide practical solutions that will enable the country harness available climate finance to transform the agricultural sector,” Ilori said.
The Head of Strategy and Performance Management at the Bank of Agriculture, Ogaruwu Anselm, said expanding clean energy financing would improve farmers’ access to credit while promoting environmentally sustainable agricultural practices.
Stakeholders at the workshop stressed that investing in renewable energy-powered cold-chain infrastructure could significantly reduce food losses, improve food availability and enhance Nigeria’s agricultural competitiveness.
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