In an effort to attain Food and Nutrition Security, Economic Growth as well as Reduce Postharvest Losses, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has revealed plans to revitalise the Silos Concession Programme to ensure a resilient, efficient, effective storage system that would reduce losses, improve food storage ecosystem as well as achieve food sovereignty.
Speaking during a high-level meeting with the delegation from the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) led by the Director General, Dr. Jobson Oseodian Ewalefoh, at the Ministry’s Conference room in Abuja, recently.
The Minister said that there is an urgent need to revitalize silo storage facilities in the country as a critical strategy to reduce Nigeria’s massive post-harvest losses, currently estimated at $10 billion annually, storage facilities are essential to our food security drive, as they directly address wastage and ensure year-round availability of staple crops.
Kyari stated: ‘’out of the 17 silo complexes concessional to five private companies, only Flour Mills of Nigeria, which operates three silo complexes under three separate Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), has met all conditions and is performing optimally’’.
He pointed out that: ‘’Ministry’s review process indicated that Several concessionaires failed to put silo facilities into optimal operating condition despite earlier agreements, Monitoring visits showed little or no progress in some facilities, with reported cases of vandalisation and perimeter fence collapse in locations such as Ikorodu and Ogoja.”
The Minister added that those of the concessionaires defaulted on their payment obligations, with only Flour Mills consistently meeting performance and financial conditions.
He further revealed that the ministry would work closely with ICRC to intensify oversight function, enforce compliance, and ensure that only competent private operators manage silo facilities.
According to him, this renewed push aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agricultural transformation agenda aimed at achieving food and nutrition security.
In his remarks, the Director General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr. Jobson Oseodian Ewalefoh stated that only private companies with real operational needs for silos should be retained. He also advised that abandoned silos should be retrieved by the federal government.
He pointed out that some concessionaires have failed to remit required returns to government coffers.
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