Nigeria's agricultural sector suffered a significant blow in 2025, with post-harvest losses estimated between N3.5 trillion and N5 trillion, according to the Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA). Mr. Alexander Isong, the President of OTACCWA, disclosed this information in Lagos, highlighting the critical need for improved infrastructure and efficiency within the agricultural value chain.

Isong attributed the massive losses to inefficiencies across major agricultural value chains and inadequate cold chain infrastructure. He warned that the economic impact extends beyond agriculture, affecting overall national productivity. The estimated loss amounts to 30 to 40 million metric tonnes of food across key value chains in 2025. The losses were primarily concentrated in tomatoes, vegetables, fruits, dairy, meat, fish, and root crops, largely due to weak cold chain systems.

The OTACCWA president emphasized that these losses represent a significant waste of resources, as farmers had already invested in land preparation, seedlings, fertiliser, labour, irrigation, and transport before the produce was lost. Such waste erodes income and reduces national output.

Nairametrics previously reported warnings of a potential severe food crisis in 2026, with farmers in the North-Central and North-West regions citing escalating production costs, insecurity, and massive post-harvest losses as factors pushing many to consider abandoning agriculture. These earlier warnings align with OTACCWA’s latest disclosure, underscoring structural weaknesses in Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.

Adding to these concerns, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that about 34.7 million Nigerians could face severe food insecurity during the next lean season from June to August 2026 if timely interventions are not implemented. This warning highlights growing concerns about food availability and affordability in the country.

OTACCWA's disclosure further emphasizes that without urgent investment in cold chain infrastructure and logistics systems, Nigeria’s food security challenges could intensify despite increased agricultural production efforts.