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Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

Osinbajo blames poor storage facilities for post harvest losses

Ebuka Daniel

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has expressed sadness over the rising cases of post-harvest losses of agricultural produce in Nigeria which he blamed on poor storage, poor rural infrastructure and non-automation of food processing.

Osinbajo said this on Tuesday in his remarks delivered virtually at the preparatory meeting of the United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021.

The Pre-Summit is a prelude to the culminating global event scheduled for September 2021, in Rome, Italy.

Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, revealed this is a statement.

He was quoted as saying, “Post-harvest losses in Africa, and particularly in Nigeria, are more than 20 per cent of production for several food groups.

“This is due mainly to poor storage, poor rural infrastructure and non-automation of food processing, amongst other things.

“The situation in many African countries is given increased urgency with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to growing levels of acute food insecurity.

This is of great concern to all of us, especially if we recall that before the pandemic, the prevalence of severe food insecurity was as high as 22 per cent.”

He said that transforming Africa’s food system would require the active mobilisation and prioritisation of both public and private investments.

This, he said, explained the resolve of the Federal Government in complementing existing development plans, sectoral strategies, and prioritising investments in specific innovations and technologies to transform food systems in the country.

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