By Lanre Shodimu
At a time when millions of Nigerians struggle to access basic nutrition, the country faces a troubling contradiction—massive food waste occurring alongside deepening hunger. Experts warn that unless urgent steps are taken to fix systemic inefficiencies in storage, processing, and distribution, Nigeria risks worsening both its food security crisis and public health outcomes.
Amid escalating hunger and worsening malnutrition, Nigeria is confronting a troubling paradox: the country wastes an estimated 38 million tonnes of food annually, even as millions of citizens struggle to meet their daily nutritional needs.
Nutritionists and stakeholders across the agricultural value chain say the scale of food loss—occurring from farm to market—reflects deep-rooted systemic inefficiencies that Nigeria can no longer afford, especially in the face of rising food insecurity.
They warn that beyond the economic implications, the wastage constitutes a serious public health concern, depriving millions—particularly children and low-income households—of access to essential nutrients.
The concerns follow a recent declaration by the European Union identifying Nigeria as Africa’s leading food-wasting nation. Speaking in Abuja during this year’s International Zero Waste Day, themed “Food waste reduction – minimisation and valorisation,” the EU Deputy Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Zissimos Vergos, revealed that Nigeria discards more food annually than any other country on the continent.
Comparatively, Tanzania records 6.9 million tonnes of food waste yearly, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo with 8.9 million tonnes, while Uganda accounts for 4.5 million tonnes. Other countries, including Mozambique, Madagascar, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Malawi, report lower but still significant levels of waste.
Ironically, the massive food losses come at a time when about 27.2 million Nigerians are currently facing hunger—a figure projected to rise to 34.7 million between June and August 2026 without urgent intervention, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation.
The nutrition crisis is particularly severe among children. Approximately two million Nigerian children suffer from severe acute malnutrition, yet only a fraction receive treatment. Data from the United Nations Children’s Fund indicate that malnutrition contributes to nearly 45 per cent of deaths among children under five, while seven per cent of women of childbearing age are acutely malnourished.
Experts argue that reducing food waste could significantly improve access to nutritious diets and ease the country’s malnutrition burden.
A Professor of Public Health Nutrition, Ignatius Onimawo, noted that much of the wasted food consists of fruits and vegetables—key sources of essential micronutrients.
“These foods are critical for immunity and overall health, but because they are highly perishable and poorly preserved, they are lost. This contributes directly to micronutrient deficiencies and malnutrition,” he said.
Onimawo attributed the losses largely to poor processing and storage infrastructure, stressing that Nigeria’s failure lies not in resource availability but in policy implementation.
“We have the soil, the climate, and the capacity. But policies on food processing and storage remain largely on paper. Without proper implementation, Nigeria will continue to rank among the highest food-wasting nations,” he added.
He further emphasised the need for nutrition education, urging households to adopt simple preservation methods to reduce waste at the domestic level.
Similarly, agricultural economist Prof Benjamin Ahmed identified post-harvest losses, inadequate storage facilities, and inefficient marketing systems as key drivers of food waste.
“We lose a significant portion of food after harvest due to poor storage and transportation. There is little value addition, and most produce is sold raw, increasing the chances of spoilage,” he explained.
Ahmed also pointed to consumer behaviour as a contributing factor, noting that the preference for fresh, unprocessed food over stored or packaged alternatives weakens the efficiency of the supply chain.
To address the challenge, he called for coordinated action involving government, private sector players, and farmers, including investment in storage infrastructure, warehousing systems, and financial support mechanisms for producers.
He suggested that farmers adopt staggered sales rather than disposing of produce immediately after harvest, provided they have access to proper storage facilities.
As Nigeria grapples with the dual burden of food waste and hunger, experts agree that urgent reforms in food processing, preservation, and distribution systems are critical.
Without decisive action, they warn, the country risks widening the gap between food availability and nutritional access—an imbalance with far-reaching consequences for public health and national development.
