…urge lawmakers to invest in agricultural infrastructure and processing
By Gloria Ikibah 
An expert have warned that Nigeria loses between 45 and 50 per cent of its agricultural produce annually because of poor storage, inadequate transportation and limited processing facilities.
The Founder of Davidorlah Farms, Segun Alabi, stated this while addressing members of the House of Representatives Press Corps during activities marking the 10th anniversary of the organisation, themed, “Davidorlah at 10: A Decade of Growth, A Future of Value Creation”.
Alabi urged the National Assembly and other arms of government to prioritise agricultural infrastructure, increase budgetary allocation to the sector and create an enabling environment for businesses to reduce post-harvest losses and boost food security.
He argued that Nigeria’s food security challenge was no longer simply about increasing production but ensuring that harvested produce was properly stored, transported and processed.
“We don’t ask too much from the government. There is no company that can actually thrive without government intervention. What we ask for is to create an enabling environment where business can thrive and to improve infrastructure. Because agriculture without infrastructure would become a catastrophe.
“The problem of Nigeria today is not an issue of primary production, but the issue of infrastructure. Every year, we lose more than 45 to 50 per cent of what we produce per annum. So, if you’re talking about food security, then more focus should be on infrastructure than primary production. If infrastructure is in place, there will be a reduction in post-harvest loss,” he said.
Alabi called for processing factories to be established close to production centres, as he said this will reduce waste, create jobs and increase the value of agricultural commodities.
He also urged Nigeria to move beyond exporting raw produce and invest in processing to improve the competitiveness of its agricultural products in international markets.
“I am looking for a time when you will leave Nigeria, get to America and Europe, and you will see products from Nigeria. My joy will be that when I’m on Qatar Airways or British Airways, I see produce from Nigeria that has been added value to it and it’s being sold in international markets. That is the dream,” he said.
To illustrate the financial cost of post-harvest losses, Alabi cited Nigeria’s annual pineapple production of about 1.6 million tonnes, noting that a 45 per cent loss at an assumed market value of $200 per tonne represented a significant economic setback.
“Every post-harvest waste or loss is a loss of employment. Because if you had added more value to it, you create more jobs,” he noted.
On funding, he urged the government to increase agricultural budgetary allocation in line with the 2014 Maputo Declaration, which committed African governments to devote at least 10 per cent of their annual budgets to agriculture.
Alabi expressed concern that only four African countries had met the target, arguing that Nigeria’s growing population required greater investment in food production and supporting infrastructure.
“If you are targeting 2 per cent or 3 per cent now, if you equate that with the increase in population, you will discover that it cannot match. Government needs to increase budget allocation to agriculture. If it is not well funded, then you have not started at all,” he said.
He also warned against unsafe agricultural practices, including excessive fertiliser application and the use of calcium carbide to ripen fruits, saying poor food safety standards could endanger consumers and affect the acceptance of Nigerian exports.
He called on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to strengthen monitoring and enforcement across the agricultural and food-processing sectors.
Alabi said the company had adopted a new food safety mantra, “If you can’t trace it, don’t taste it”, to promote accountability in the sourcing and handling of agricultural produce.
“This is the statement we adopt in our company now. If you can’t trace it, don’t taste it. For companies producing fruit juice, the source of your raw material needs to be verified,” he said.
He disclosed that Davidorlah Farms operates an organic pineapple farm, follows Good Agricultural Practices and conducts regular laboratory chemical analyses as part of its efforts to meet certification requirements.
Warning that the appearance of fresh produce did not guarantee its safety, he said: “You will think you are consuming a fruit, whereas you are consuming a poison. Because the level of poison inside you cannot be explained.”
Alabi said the company was also developing a processing factory expected to be commissioned in 2027. The facility will include a laboratory to test fruits before processing, ensuring that only produce that meets safety requirements enters the production chain.
He said the investment will strengthen quality control and make traceability central to the company’s operations.
“So that you don’t just see an orange and consume. You don’t just see pineapple and consume. If you want to taste a fruit juice, make sure you can trace where it’s coming from and you can trace that to Davidorlah when it comes to pineapple,” Alabi said.
