…targets $10bn post-harvest loss reduction
The Federal Government has announced plans to revitalise the Silos Concession Programme as part of efforts to reduce post-harvest losses estimated at $10 billion annually and strengthen Nigeria’s food storage system.
Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, stated this during a meeting with Jobson Oseodian Ewalefoh, Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), in Abuja.
Kyari stressed the urgent need to restore silo facilities across the Country, describing them as critical to the nation’s food security drive.
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“Storage facilities are essential to our food security agenda as they directly address wastage and ensure year-round availability of staple crops,” he said.
The minister said that out of 17 silo complexes concessioned to five private firms, only Flour Mills of Nigeria — operating three facilities — had met all performance and financial obligations.
He noted that several others had defaulted, leaving facilities idle or vandalised, with cases reported in Ikorodu and Ogoja.
To address the lapses, Kyari said the Ministry, in collaboration with the ICRC, would strengthen oversight, enforce compliance, and ensure only competent operators retain concessions.
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Ewalefoh, Director-General of ICRC, advised that only companies with genuine operational needs for silos should be retained, while abandoned facilities should be repossessed by the Government. He added that some concessionaires had failed to remit returns to the Government coffers.
The meeting ended with the inauguration of a committee to review concession agreements, assess performance, and design a clear framework for monitoring and evaluation.
