Nigeria's food crisis is driven by poor preservation systems rather than insufficient food production, according to Terroso Group. Chief Executive Officer Opeoluwa Runsewe made the statement during a webinar on post-harvest losses held on Wednesday. The event, themed 'Post-Harvest Losses: The Business Case for Cold Chain Investment and Agro-Industrialisation', highlighted gaps in storage and transport infrastructure. Runsewe said Nigeria produces enough food, but spoilage due to lack of cold storage causes 30 to 50 per cent post-harvest losses. He described the situation as a "preservation failure disguised as scarcity". Without temperature-controlled transport and storage, food deteriorates quickly after harvest, reducing both quantity and quality. This undermines processing, export standards and off-season availability. Farmers often sell produce immediately at low prices due to lack of storage, cutting their income. Runsewe urged government to provide tax incentives, reduce import duties on cold chain equipment and ensure stable policy frameworks. He also called on banks to create financing models tailored to infrastructure projects. Terroso Group plans to build a nationwide cold chain network with storage hubs in major farming areas. The company aims to improve export logistics and use data-driven pricing to cut waste, targeting local demand and international markets.
Opeoluwa Runsewe claims Nigeria produces enough food, yet millions face hunger due to systemic preservation failures. If food is available but rotting before consumption, then the crisis is not one of supply but of state and private sector inaction on infrastructure. Farmers lose income and consumers face scarcity, not because food isn't grown, but because it isn't preserved. This undermines both food security and Nigeria's potential to compete in regional and global markets.
💡 NaijaBuzz is an AI-assisted news aggregator. This content is curated from third-party sources — NaijaBuzz is not the original publisher and is not responsible for the accuracy of source reporting. The NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion only, not established fact. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. NaijaBuzz does not endorse the views expressed in source articles.
