Nigeria loses approximately 38 million tonnes of food every year, the highest volume of food waste in Africa, according to the European Union. This figure was disclosed as the EU, the Federal Government, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) jointly called for immediate measures to reduce waste across the food supply chain. The partners highlighted that post-harvest losses, poor storage, and inefficient distribution systems are key drivers of the crisis. They stressed the need to strengthen food processing, improve cold chain infrastructure, and support smallholder farmers with better technology. Despite Nigeria's ongoing struggle with food insecurity, the scale of loss occurs at a time when millions face hunger. The collaboration aims to promote sustainable consumption and reduce environmental impact linked to food waste.
That Nigeria discards 38 million tonnes of food each year while millions go hungry exposes a deep failure in logistics and policy execution. The involvement of the EU, UNIDO, and the Federal Government adds visibility, but announcements alone won't fix rotting harvests or broken cold chains. For ordinary Nigerians, this means continued vulnerability to price spikes and hunger, even as edible food is lost before reaching markets.
