September 3, 2025 – Earlier today, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Mohammed Ibrahim, and other stakeholders participated in the Nigeria Deal Room, one of the key programmes at the ongoing Africa Food Systems Forum in Senegal.
The discussions centred on the Nigeria Postharvest Systems Transformation Program (NiPHaST), a flagship initiative under Nigeria’s Legacy Programme. NiPHaST is designed to tackle the serious issue of post-harvest losses, which are estimated to cost the nation about N3.5 trillion annually.
Speaking at the session, Sen. Abubakar Kyari stressed the importance of the initiative. “We cannot continue to allow such massive losses in our agricultural value chain. This programme will ensure more resilient systems that benefit our farmers and the economy,” he said.
NiPHaST is built on the framework of Nigeria’s National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP). It takes a multi-stakeholder approach, aiming to create a more efficient and sustainable food system.
The programme is a partnership between the Government of Nigeria and AGRA. Its focus areas include improving storage infrastructure, adopting advanced agricultural technologies, and enhancing transport services to reduce waste and strengthen food security.