Nigeria’s position as a global powerhouse in root and tuber production has again come into focus, with the Federal Government stating that the country leads the world with over 60 million tonnes of cassava and yam output annually, accounting for between 68 per cent and 76 per cent of global production.
This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Abdullahi Aliyu, at the 2026 Post Harvest Connect and Root, Tuber and Banana Conference held in Abuja. The event, convened by the Nigerian Stored Produce Research Institute (NSPRI) alongside industry stakeholders, focused on scaling post-harvest technologies to improve productivity and competitiveness across Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
Despite the country’s dominant production figures, the minister acknowledged that Nigeria continues to face a major structural setback in the form of post-harvest losses, which significantly erode the gains made by farmers and limit food availability nationwide.
“Though our production capacity is high, the country’s challenge is post-harvest losses,” Abdullahi said. “Many of our farmers end up with wastage, some up to 30 per cent to 40 per cent of their produce, and some in the fruit and vegetable segments lose up to 60 per cent to 70 per cent.”
He explained that even modest improvements in reducing these losses could have a substantial impact on national food supply and pricing. According to him, cutting post-harvest losses by as little as 10 per cent would increase food availability and potentially drive down market prices, making food more affordable for Nigerians.
The minister stressed that the Federal Government’s priority extends beyond boosting production figures to ensuring that farmers benefit economically from their output while consumers have access to affordable food.
“Government concern is how farmers will benefit from their efforts, but most importantly, how our citizens will be able to also afford to have food on their table,” he said. “These are the forces that governments are dealing with on a year-on-year basis.”
The conference, themed “Scaling Post-harvest Technologies for Enhanced Productivity and Competitiveness,” was positioned as a strategic platform to address these persistent gaps by bringing together stakeholders across the agricultural ecosystem.
Abdullahi noted that the initiative was designed to foster collaboration among technology providers, farmers, researchers, and private sector players, with the goal of developing practical solutions that tackle losses both at the farm level and along the broader supply chain.
“Underscoring these challenges, we decided it is important to bring everybody together,” he said. “Those involved in …-harvest ecosystem, whether producing technologies that farmers will use, either on-farm or even off-farm, because some of …-harvest losses start even at the level of the farm.”
He further linked the conversation to Nigeria’s broader food security agenda, highlighting that true food security goes beyond production volumes to include accessibility, affordability, and nutritional quality delivered on a sustainable basis.
“Looking at the dimensions of food security, talking about availability of food, accessibility, affordability and of course that food being in the right nutritional content on a sustainable basis — it is when this is complete, working together, that you can claim to have food security,” he said.
The minister added that Nigeria’s diverse food culture further underscores the need for a coordinated approach that ensures consistent supply and value retention across different agricultural commodities.
On his part, the Executive Director of NSPRI, Lateef Sanni, said the institute deliberately prioritised root, tuber and banana crops due to their economic importance and extensive value chains.
Sanni reiterated that Nigeria’s global leadership in the production of these crops presents an opportunity that remains underutilised due to gaps in post-harvest management and value addition.
“There is a need for us to prioritise attention to them, so that we can maximise the rich potential,” he said.
He described the conference as a critical platform for showcasing both existing and emerging post-harvest technologies, noting that innovation and collaboration would be central to reducing losses and improving efficiency across the sector.
Sanni emphasised that government efforts alone would not be sufficient to address the scale of Nigeria’s post-harvest challenges, calling for stronger participation from the private sector, financial institutions, and development partners.
“Public and private sector collaboration is key to address post-harvest challenges,” he said. “Government alone cannot do it. We need private sector collaboration, financial institutions and post-harvest credit facilities.”
According to him, increased private sector involvement would not only help reduce losses but also unlock new business opportunities within the agricultural value chain, ultimately improving profitability for farmers and other stakeholders.
“The more we have private sector coming in, the more we are assured of business activities which will be more profitable to the farmers,” Sanni added.
The discussions at the conference reflect a growing consensus that Nigeria’s agricultural transformation will depend not just on increasing output, but on strengthening systems that preserve value after harvest.
With post-harvest losses still accounting for a significant share of agricultural waste, stakeholders say targeted investments in storage infrastructure, processing technologies, and logistics will be critical to converting Nigeria’s production advantage into tangible economic and food security gains.
As the country continues to lead globally in root and tuber production, the focus is now shifting towards ensuring that this dominance translates into improved livelihoods for farmers, reduced food prices, and a more resilient agricultural economy.
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