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Nigeria could face shortages of rice, tomatoes and other staple foods within the next three months if urgent measures are not taken to address declining agricultural production, insecurity and weak food distribution systems, the Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA) has warned.
The President of OTACCWA and Country Director of the Nigeria World Agriculture Forum, Mr Alexander Isong, raised the alarm in an interview with journalists in Lagos on Sunday, saying the looming shortages could trigger another wave of food inflation and worsen the hardship facing millions of households.
According to Isong, rice production is projected to fall by six per cent to about 8.3 million tonnes, while the area under cultivation is expected to shrink by seven per cent to 4.2 million hectares. He noted that data from the United States Department of Agriculture also points to a five per cent year-on-year decline in output.
He said the reduction in production and cultivated land would significantly affect food availability across the country, adding that tomato supplies are likely to remain tight until the late harvest season expected in October. He also warned that maize, sorghum and millet could come under similar supply pressure due to reduced planting recorded in 2025.
Isong blamed rising transportation costs for worsening the food crisis, revealing that moving a tonne of grain from Kano to Lagos now costs about ₦70,000 compared to ₦45,000 previously, while transport charges on some routes have doubled or even tripled. He added that high energy costs were also driving up food prices.
He noted that onions and peppers are already in short supply in several major producing areas, resulting in sharp price increases, while Nigeria is expected to remain heavily dependent on wheat imports estimated at about 7.2 million tonnes.
The OTACCWA president identified insecurity, declining farm production, poor storage facilities, post-harvest losses and supply chain disruptions as the major factors threatening the country\'s food security. He said the displacement of thousands of farmers in northern Nigeria had severely disrupted farming activities and reduced agricultural output.
He called on the Federal Government to strengthen security in key food-producing regions, improve rural road networks, expand rail freight services for agricultural produce and reduce logistics costs to make food transportation more efficient and affordable.
Isong also urged governments, the private sector and development partners to work together to reduce post-harvest losses, distribute improved seeds and fertilisers, expand irrigation, improve access to affordable credit and invest in cold chain infrastructure, processing facilities and aggregation centres. He stressed that coordinated action was essential to stabilise food supplies and prevent fresh increases in the prices of staple foods.
