The Federal Government has announced plans to revamp the Silos Concession Programme in a bid to curb Nigeria’s annual post-harvest losses estimated at $10 billion.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this during a meeting with the Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr. Jobson Oseodian Ewalefoh in Abuja.
In a statement by the Head, Department of nformation at the Ministry, Ikemefuna Ezeaja, Kyari said the move would rehabilitate silo facilities, strengthen the country’s food storage system, and promote food sovereignty.
“Storage facilities are essential to our food security drive, as they directly address wastage and ensure year-round availability of staple crops,” he stated.
The minister revealed that out of 17 silo complexes concessioned to five private companies, only Flour Mills of Nigeria operating three silos through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) has met its financial and operational obligations.
Others, he noted, have failed to make facilities functional, with some sites such as Ikorodu and Ogoja suffering vandalism and collapse of perimeter fences.
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He said the ministry, in partnership with ICRC, would intensify oversight, enforce compliance, and ensure only competent concessionaires manage the facilities.
The initiative, he added, aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agricultural transformation agenda, which prioritizes food and nutrition security.
On his part, Dr. Ewalefoh stressed that only private firms with clear operational needs for silos should be retained. He urged the government to recover abandoned facilities and sanction concessionaires who failed to remit returns to the national treasury.
The meeting ended with the formation of a committee to review contracts, assess performance, and strengthen monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for the programme.