Lagos Don Gear Up To Fight Food Waste – Mega Storage Go End Post-Harvest Loss Wahala

Lagos State Government don set plans to fight post-harvest losses with one mega food storage facility wey dem go commission by December 2025. Di facility get capacity to hold enough food wey fit feed people for di state for 90 days straight. Di storage centre, wey dey Epe, na part of di state’s food security system and logistics hub wey go help manage supply and control food waste. Na Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, reveal dis one during di Agro-Allied Annual Fair Symposium wey di Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) organise. Di theme of di event na, “Agric Business in the 21st Century: Changing the Narrative.” Olusanya, wey Permanent Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Audu, represent for di event, still talk say Lagos don dey sign agreement with farmers from other food-producing states under one scheme wey dem call “Produce for Lagos.” She yarn say,“We dey build and change our food system with di Lagos Food Security System and Logistic Hub for Epe. Di system dey set to secure food wey fit last for 90 days. Phase One go go live and launch by December 2025. ”She explain say na dis one be first tier of Lagos food security system, as di real power of di state for agriculture na market demand with over 24 million people to feed every day. She blame food inflation and sharp increase in food prices, sometimes rising over 10 times in one year, on lack of proper storage to stop post-harvest losses.

She talk say: “But na this new food security system go change that. E go fit hold vegetables and perishables well, keep dem fresh. Right now, we dey lose about 50% of food wey farmers produce or send enter Lagos because of wastage.” She come add, “When farmer harvest 10 tonnes but lose 5 tonnes, him go add the loss to di price of the remaining 5 tonnes. Na why food dey expensive. But if we fit stop dis kind loss, food go cheap and plenty reach everybody for Lagos soon.” The commissioner still reveal say Lagos dey form better alliance with other food states and don sign agreement with farmers for Benue State to push the Produce for Lagos idea. According to di Ministry, di N500 billion food security fund wey dem recently launch go give those farmers confidence say money dey to pay for wetin dem produce, and say Lagos get ready market and buyer. Dem talk say dis kind guarantee go help farmers use their agreement with Lagos take unlock funding from banks and increase their farm output. “Agric story must change. We dey move from hoe and cutlass to drone and data-based farming; from small small farming to sustainable agribusiness, from just to survive to real prosperity,” Olusanya talk. For him own speech during di agro-fair, LCCI President, Mr. Gabriel Idahosa, hammer on the need to change how Nigerians dey see, invest in, and benefit from agriculture. He talk say: “We gather here today to shift agriculture from just survival work to real wealth-creating, tech-driven and globally competitive business.”According to am, the 21st century don bring serious challenges, like climate change, food insecurity, supply chain wahala, and new consumer behaviour. But e also bring better opportunities like digital farming, biotech, precision farming, climate-smart agriculture, and full agro-value chain integration. He talk say: “Agric no be just to dig ground again. Na now we dey talk of drones wey dey fly monitor farm, smart irrigation, vertical farms for city, blockchain to trace food supply chain, and young farmers (agripreneurs) wey dey build startups wey dey collect investor money just like tech bros.” He add say for Nigeria and Africa, dis shift no be luxury, na pure necessity. With population set to pass 400 million by 2050, agriculture must become both food security solution and money-making machine. “We no fit dey rely on crude oil again. Di real oil wey dey under our foot, wey God give us, na agriculture,” he talk. “From rice to cassava, palm oil to fish, fruits to livestock, agriculture still be Nigeria’s most important road to diversification, job creation, poverty reduction and better life for all.”