The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, has said that a strategic and robust public-private partnership will reform the agricultural sector and cut the nation’s annual post-harvest losses estimated at N3.5 trillion.
The minister stated this during a high-level panel discussion at the FAO Hand-in-Hand Sahel Regional Initiative with a focus on accelerating capacity, partnerships, and investments to transform agrifood systems in the region, held in Rome, Italy, recently.
Senator Kyari said scaling up the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ), which is the largest such initiative in Africa, currently being expanded from eight to 27 states, will provide integrated infrastructure and reduce costs for agro-processors.
He added that implementing the Nigeria Postharvest Systems Transformation Programme (NiPHaST), will reduce the N3.5trn lost annually to postharvest inefficiencies through improved storage, cold chain, and warehousing solutions.
Kyari stressed the need for a Sahel region that would leverage strong institutions, innovative financing, strategic and robust public – private collaboration, and smart governance to unlock the full potential of farmers, processors, small businesses, and revolutionize the agricultural ecosystem.
The minister said, “The pathway to upscale is to implement a laudable agenda. Implementation is not abstract. It requires due diligence, smart governance, and unwavering political will.
The government plans to stop massive food waste and channel those savings into strengthening the economy.
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