By Moyofoluwa Ogunyemi
As part of efforts to tackle the persistent challenge of post-harvest losses and deepen value addition in Nigeria’s agro-processing sector, the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Lagos State Coordination Office, has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders across the agricultural value chain.
The call was made during an industrial visit by the Council to Flinks Food and Beverage Industries Limited, Iyana-Iba, Lagos, where industry operators and government officials examined practical strategies for reducing fruit and vegetable wastage, improving processing capacity and enhancing industrial utilization of agricultural raw materials.
Speaking during the visit, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Flinks Food and Beverage Industries Limited, Mrs. Onyinye Anujulu, described the company as a processing hub committed to transforming agricultural produce into value-added products for consumers.
She expressed concern over the enormous losses suffered annually by farmers and processors due to poor preservation methods, inadequate storage infrastructure and limited processing technologies.
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According to her, significant quantities of fruits and vegetables are wasted across the country as a result of post-harvest spoilage, weak logistics systems, market supply-demand imbalances and insufficient opportunities for value addition.
Anujulu also identified inadequate product development capacity, limited access to structured processing hubs and the absence of coordinated aggregation networks as major obstacles to efficient raw material utilization.
To address these challenges, she advocated establishing aggregation centres in major markets to facilitate the collection, preservation, and processing of agricultural produce through dedicated processing hubs.
Responding to the concern, the Lagos State Coordinator of RMRDC, Mrs. Uchechukwu Ojiakor, stressed the need for a well-integrated value chain that effectively links producers, aggregators, processors, marketers and end-users.
She noted that reducing post-harvest losses, improving storage facilities and promoting value addition remain critical to boosting productivity, creating employment and driving sustainable industrial growth in the agro-processing sector.
Ojiakor explained that value addition goes beyond preservation and storage, encompassing processing, packaging and product development. She observed that commodities such as tomatoes, oranges, bananas and watermelons could be transformed into products including juices, powders, flakes and pastes, thereby extending shelf life, reducing waste and expanding market opportunities.
She further underscored the importance of clustering within the fruits and vegetables industry, noting that industrial clusters provide platforms for collaboration, technology transfer, innovation and improved access to processing facilities.
According to her, emerging technologies such as solar-powered preservation and storage systems offer viable solutions for minimizing post-harvest losses while ensuring a more stable supply of raw materials for industries.
Reaffirming the Council’s commitment to promoting local industrial development, Ojiakor said that the Council would continue to engage with stakeholders and champion initiatives to strengthen value addition and maximise the utilisation of Nigeria’s abundant raw materials.
She highlighted several strategic interventions being pursued by the Council, including the proposed 30% Value Addition Bill, which is currently awaiting presidential assent and seeks to encourage local processing of raw materials before export as a means of stimulating industrial growth and economic diversification.
She also referenced the Memorandum of Understanding between RMRDC and the Bank of Industry, designed to curb post-harvest losses, promote value addition across key agricultural value chains and support the deployment of processing technologies.
In addition, she disclosed that the Council has partnered with Roseate Forte Nigeria Limited to implement the National Industrial Cluster Initiative under the Local Content Development Beyond Oil (LCDBO) framework, beginning with pilot projects in Lagos State.
The visit ended with both organizations reaffirming their commitment to exploring practical and collaborative measures aimed at reducing fruit and vegetable wastage, strengthening agro-industrial linkages, enhancing productivity and supporting the sustainable growth of Nigeria’s food processing industry.
