Without mincing words, food processing remains a cornerstone of economic growth, driving employment, reducing food losses, and improving nutrition which are critical components in securing a nation’s food future.
In Nigeria, where the food import bill hit N920.54 billion in the first quarter of 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), a focused investment in food processing could significantly lower this burden and reduce the country’s dependency on imports. Stakeholders emphasise that a robust and well-functioning food processing industry has the potential to unlock vast opportunities for agricultural advancement and contribute greatly to the nation’s overall economic prosperity.
A food production expert and the Chief Operating Officer/Managing Director of Capacious Farms and Foods, Chi Tola Roberts, reacting to the issue of whether food security is achievable without adequate attention to and investment in agro-processing, said if Nigeria is serious about achieving food security, reducing poverty, and building a resilient economy, it must move agro-processing from the sidelines to the centre stage of national development.
She said, “As Nigeria grapples with rising food prices, unemployment, and nutrition challenges, one critical sector remains grossly underutilised – agro-processing. The question we must ask ourselves is this: can Nigeria truly achieve food security without significant attention and investment in agro-processing? The honest answer is no.
“Agro-processing is the engine that drives sustainable food systems. Without it, our agricultural gains will continue to evaporate between the farm and the fork.”
The Capacious Farms and Foods boss noted that, “Nigeria is blessed with vast arable land, a youthful population, and diverse agro-ecological zones. From yams in Benue to cassava in Ogun, rice in Kebbi, and tomatoes in Kano, our production potential is massive. Yet, we are one of the highest food importers in Africa and experience chronic food insecurity across many states because we do little with what we produce. Raw tomatoes rot in trucks, maize spoils in silos, and fish goes bad at the market. Without processing and preservation, we are feeding waste – not the nation.”
Enumerating some of the immense benefits the country could derive from a vibrant agro-processing sub-sector, Roberts listed them to include reduction in post-harvest losses, job creation and youth empowerment, boosting of farmers’ incomes, strengthening of local food supply chains, and improved nutrition, among others.
She stated that, “Nigeria loses an estimated 40-60 percent of its fresh produce due to inadequate storage, poor transportation, and lack of processing. With proper investment in agro-processing, we can significantly cut these losses and make food available all year round.
“Nigeria’s unemployment rate is high, especially among youths. Agro-processing offers opportunities in production, packaging, logistics, equipment maintenance, branding, and retail. One cassava processing plant can empower an entire community.
“When farmers can process their crops into high-value products like garri, flour, starch, or oil, they earn more and are more likely to invest in expanding production. This is how rural economies grow.”
Furthermore, she explained that, “Locally processed foods reduce dependence on imports and foreign exchange.
When we process what we grow, we control what we eat and strengthen food sovereignty. Processing helps fortify food with essential nutrients. Think of soymilk, fortified cereals, or even vitamin-enriched flours. These processed foods play a vital role in fighting malnutrition, especially in children.”
On what the country must do to properly position food processing, Roberts counseled: “For agro-processing to thrive in Nigeria, we need the right infrastructure in place, including stable electricity, good roads, water supply, and functional markets. Affordable credit and grants for agropreneurs and cooperatives are critical, as well as technology transfer. Local and international partnerships need to equip small processors with modern, efficient tools.”
She noted that the need for supportive government policies, tax incentives, and quality standards enforcement cannot be overemphasised, adding that capacity building in the form of training programmes for youths, women, and MSMEs in food processing and packaging is of utmost importance.
Roberts stressed that Nigeria’s food security problem is not just about growing more but about doing more with what we grow. Agro-processing is not just a sector – it is a strategy. It transforms agriculture from subsistence to sustainability, from potential to prosperity.
For the National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Farouk Mudi, the country needs to stop politicising the issue of food security if it must achieve its food security goals.
Lamenting the inability of real farmers to access funds and inputs meant for them, Mudi said, “If we are politicising anything to do with farming or agriculture, we are not going to achieve any tangible result.
If we can give what belongs to Caesar to Caesar, then we can achieve the results we desire. Anything that belongs to farmers should go to farmers.
“In Nigeria, you can never access anything that belongs to lawyers if you’re not one of them. But when it comes to anything that belongs to farmers, everybody will jump at it and even push the farmers aside. For instance, some state governors divert what is meant for farmers to their political touts and the farmers end up buying from them at prevailing market prices. And this cannot bring down the cost of production.
“The rate at which the Federal Government is releasing funds for agriculture and agribusinesses, I believe if these funds are put in the right hands, by now the issue of hunger would have been a thing of the past. Same thing applies to food processing.”
Mudi, who called for concerted efforts in supporting Nigeria’s smallholder food processors, cited the example of India, saying the country has massively developed its cottage food processing industry and its industrial food processing sector.
According to him, “India’s cottage food processing section provides for its citizens, while its industrial food processing sector takes care of its export business. Look where they are now. So here in Nigeria too, we have to support small food processors. Supporting them gives you two advantages, namely, elimination of unemployment and reduction of the cost of products.
“This is because the big processing companies are taxed heavily coupled with the costs of other production inputs, and these impact the costs of their products, but smallholder processors are not heavily taxed, if they are taxed at all, so the costs of their products are pocket-friendly.”
He is, however, hopeful that Nigeria is progressing and can achieve food security. He said, “Seriously, we are progressing; only that we have to be patient and committed to achieving our desired food security goals.”
Dr. Ekenechukwu Aloefuna of the Agricultural Commodity Consumer Awareness Association, a rice production expert, is of the opinion that looking up to government for the attainment of food security may be a pipe dream as it is not yet taking the bull by the horn as far as the issue is concerned.
Aloefuna said going by what is on the ground, “Achieving food security is not feasible. Check the 2025 budget and you would see the unseriousness of government in the sector.”
He, however, expressed optimism with the efforts of private sector players, whom he said are taking up the challenge of raising the bar in agro-processing.
He noted that, “Investment in food processing may not be very robust on the part of government, but players in the Nigerian private sector are beginning to think more agribusiness training. Today you notice that a lot of young people are in the business of agro-trading. For instance, kunu is no longer a product of Northern Nigeria, it has become a Nigerian product. That’s processing in play.”
