The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has praised the private sector, development partners, and other stakeholders for supporting investments aimed at reducing post-harvest losses in Nigeria’s food system.
Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, Executive Secretary of NADF, said this during an interactive session with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.
He recalled that at the recent Africa Food Systems Forum in Dakar, Senegal (August 31–September 5), stakeholders discussed the challenges facing food systems in the region. Post-harvest losses were highlighted as one of the biggest problems.
“Post-harvest losses remain a major challenge in the country, reaching up to 60 per cent in some value chains,” Ibrahim said.
He noted that investors at the forum had shown strong interest in investing in Nigeria’s post-harvest system. According to him, tackling this problem is critical to improving the nation’s food security.
Ibrahim explained that although governments across Africa have tried to reduce underinvestment in agriculture, more efforts are still needed to attract private capital.
“What we want to do now is to identify the risks that need to be addressed and create the right environment that will encourage private investment in the sector,” he said.
He stressed that NADF was set up to provide comprehensive funding for agriculture, focusing on increasing farmers’ productivity and profitability.
Nigeria, he added, is richly blessed with agricultural potential across regions and demographics. The challenge is to harness this potential for sustainable growth.
“Funding is critical for any sector that wants to grow and reach its potential. Our mandate covers the entire agricultural value chain, including research, to make sure funding flows into the sector,” Ibrahim explained.
He said NADF is using blended finance, guarantees, concessionary loans, and targeted funding to drive agricultural and industrial growth.
According to him, access to land, markets, and skills are essential factors that can boost farmers’ productivity. He noted that NADF’s interventions are already working toward achieving these goals.
