Nigeria records 45% post-harvest food wastage annually – Expert

The Chief Operating Officer of Cold Hubs, Bright Igbokwe, on Monday said that about 45 per cent of Nigeria’s post-harvest food was being lost annually to inadequate storage facilities.
Igbokwe made the disclosure in Lagos at a one-day seminar organized by the Consulate-General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Nigeria and the Delegation of the German Industry and Commerce.
The theme of the seminar, which was a continuation of the series of seminars being organised in Nigeria by the German Government, was: “Startups in Renewable Energy.”
Igbokwe attributed the nation’s high post- harvest losses to the non-existence of a dependable cold refrigeration system across the six-geo political zones of the federation.
Igbokwe said: “Let me say that over 45 per cent of post-harvest food wastage is recorded in Nigeria annually due to lack of cold storage facilities.
“There is currently a huge energy deficit in Nigeria that is adversely affecting food production for the growing population.”
Igbokwe said it was imperative for governments and relevant bodies to urgently evolve measures aimed at reducing post-harvest losses in the country.
According to him, Nigeria currently needs a reliable cold storage system for her agricultural produce.
Ekene Aina, the Partnerships and Expansion Manager of Mobisol GmbH, Berlin, Germany, said his company was ready to replicate its clean, affordable and reliable solar energy experience in East Africa in Nigeria.
According to him, the company’s Solar Home System business in East Africa is currently serving over 300,000 people with clean, affordable and reliable solar energy.
Aina, who said that his company was prepared to partner with Nigerian energy companies in improving the country’s energy supply, added that the company currently had branches in Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya.