Nigeria is losing an estimated $9–10 billion every year due to post-harvest waste, a significant drain on the economy that threatens food security, reduces farmers’ incomes, and slows national growth.

The warning comes from Segun Alabi, CEO of Davidorlah Nigeria Limited, an agritech firm specializing in large-scale pineapple farming and fruit concentrate production in West Africa. His company operates Davidorlah Farms, the largest pineapple estate in the sub-region.

Alabi attributed the massive losses to inefficient harvesting practices, poor storage, inadequate transportation, and limited processing facilities, resulting in 30 to 50 percent of Nigeria’s agricultural output spoiling before reaching the market.

“What Nigeria loses annually to post-harvest waste could transform the agricultural sector and significantly boost GDP if properly managed,” he said while briefing journalists in Abuja.

Addressing the Issue
Alabi emphasized that tackling post-harvest losses requires urgent investment in:

• Modern storage systems and cold-chain infrastructure
• Silos and decentralized processing hubs to extend crop shelf life
• Farmer training and improved rural roads
• Affordable preservation technologies, such as solar dryers
• Supportive government policies to encourage innovation and efficiency

He noted that reducing waste would immediately enhance the economy by increasing marketable produce, opening up export opportunities, and strengthening food security.

Economic, Social, and Environmental Benefits

• Farmers would retain more value from their produce, boosting incomes and stimulating the entire agricultural value chain.
• Waste reduction could create thousands of jobs in logistics, storage management, food processing, equipment manufacturing, and farmer training, particularly benefiting women and youth in rural communities.
• Environmentally, cutting waste would reduce pressure on land and water resources and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Innovative waste-to-wealth solutions such as composting, organic fertilizers, animal feed, bioenergy, and bioplastics present additional economic opportunities.

Alabi urged the government to take the lead in investment and policy reforms, stressing that Nigeria cannot continue to lose billions of dollars annually when these losses represent enormous potential for wealth creation and sector growth.

“The future of Nigerian agriculture depends on how quickly we confront this post-harvest waste crisis,” he added.