EU Raises Alarm as Nigeria Loses 38 Million Tonnes of Food Annually

News in brief:

-Nigeria leads Africa in food waste with an estimated 38 million tonnes lost annually, raising concerns over food security and environmental impact.

-The EU and UNIDO have urged Nigeria to invest in storage, rural infrastructure and food processing to curb waste.

Nigeria loses an estimated 38 million tonnes of food annually, the highest level of food waste in Africa, according to officials from the European Union (EU).

The development has been described as alarming due to its implications for food security, economic stability and environmental sustainability.

EU Calls for Urgent Action

Speaking in Abuja during the commemoration of the International Day of Zero Waste in March 2026, Zissimos Vergos, Deputy Ambassador of the European Union to Nigeria, stressed the need for urgent action to reduce food loss and waste.

“This is not just a loss of food; it is a squandering of precious resources, a missed opportunity to combat hunger, and a direct threat to our planet’s health,” he said.

Vergos noted that globally, nearly one billion tonnes of food were wasted in 2022 alone.

He added that food loss and waste contribute up to 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and almost 40 per cent of methane emissions.

According to him, the environmental impact of wasted food is significant, producing nearly five times the emissions generated by the global aviation sector.

Nigeria’s Circular Economy Efforts

Vergos acknowledged the steps that Nigeria has taken to tackle waste through policy and institutional reforms. He highlighted the country’s Circular Economy Roadmap, the establishment of the Interministerial Circular Economy Committee and initiatives aimed at regulating plastic waste.

According to him, these measures represent structural shifts showing Nigeria’s commitment to addressing waste management challenges.

Drawing lessons from European Union practices, Vergos outlined several strategies Nigeria could adopt to reduce food waste.

These include investing in rural infrastructure such as roads, storage facilities and cold-chain systems to address the last-mile challenges in agricultural supply chains.

He also recommended promoting the processing of fresh agricultural produce into value-added products such as tomato paste and cassava flour by linking smallholder farmers to processors and markets.

Another recommendation was the integration of zero-waste, recycling and resource-efficiency education into school curricula from the primary level.

UNIDO Highlights Broader Impact of Food Waste

Also speaking at the event, Philbert Johnson, Director and Nigeria Representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, emphasised the broader economic and social consequences of food waste.

“Food is far more than a commodity; it is a foundation of wealth, a driver of health and a pillar of security,” he said.

Johnson warned that when food systems fail and food is lost or wasted, the effects ripple across economies, the environment and communities.

The European Union, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Nigerian government called for urgent collective action, noting that wasted food also means wasted water, energy and labour while worsening climate change impacts.