FG Cracks Down on Defaulting Firms, Revitalizes Silos Programme to Curb $10bn Post-Harvest Losses

In a decisive move to tackle Nigeria's food security crisis, the Federal Government has announced a major overhaul of its Silos Concession Programme, targeting massive post-harvest losses currently estimated at a staggering $10 billion annually.

The revitalization plan was unveiled during a high-level meeting between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and a delegation from the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) in Abuja.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, revealed that out of 17 silo complexes concessioned to five private companies, only Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc is performing optimally, having met all its conditions for the three silo complexes it manages.

He expressed deep concern over the failure of other concessionaires, citing neglect, vandalization, and financial defaults as major setbacks to the national food storage strategy.

“Our review process indicated that several concessionaires failed to put silo facilities into optimal operating condition despite earlier agreements,” Kyari stated. “Monitoring visits showed little or no progress in some facilities, with reported cases of vandalization and perimeter fence collapse in locations such as Ikorodu and Ogoja.”

The Minister emphasized that efficient storage facilities are the cornerstone of the government's food security drive, crucial for reducing wastage and ensuring the year-round availability of staple crops for Nigerians.

He announced that the Ministry would now work closely with the ICRC to intensify oversight, enforce compliance, and ensure that only competent private operators with the requisite technical and financial capacity are allowed to manage the critical national assets.

“This renewed push aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agricultural transformation agenda aimed at achieving food and nutrition security,” Kyari added.

Echoing the Minister's stance, the Director-General of the ICRC, Dr. Jobson Oseodian Ewalefoh, advised that concessionaires without a genuine operational need for the silos should be stripped of their contracts.

He recommended that the federal government immediately retrieve all abandoned silo complexes and re-concession them to serious and capable companies. Dr. Ewalefoh also pointed out that several concessionaires had failed to remit required financial returns to the government, further justifying the need for a review.