By Barbara Nwaiwu
The executive director of the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Prof. Lateef Sanni, has said that Nigeria can achieve long term food security through improved storage infrastructure and adequate credit support for farmers.
Sanni stated this on Wednesday at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) 15th Faculty of Agriculture Lecture and 65th anniversary celebration in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
The lecture was titled, “From Surplus to Scarcity: Bridging Storage Gaps and Agricultural Practices for Food Security.”
The NSPRI executive director identified inadequate storage facilities as one of the major challenges affecting agricultural productivity, food preservation and farmers’ incomes across the country.
He noted that poor preservation systems continue to contribute to post-harvest losses and food wastage, reducing food availability and limiting earnings for rural farmers during harvest periods.
Sanni called for stronger government support through targeted incentives, improved access to credit and the deployment of modern technologies to enhance food production, preservation and sustainable agricultural development.
According to him, public private partnerships, microcredit schemes and the establishment of processing facilities close to raw material sources would help reduce wastage and strengthen agricultural value chains.
He also advocated localised preservation systems near agricultural production clusters, stressing that improved storage infrastructure remains critical to achieving food security.
Sanni expressed optimism that sustainable policies, enhanced storage systems and locally developed technologies would improve food security and facilitate the gradual implementation of agricultural research findings across the country.
The Osun State Governor, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, represented by Mr. Olubi Adejobi, said effective storage systems would help guarantee affordable food access and reduce agricultural losses nationwide.
Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Olanrewaju Adeleke, represented by Mr. Hamidu Tadese, said the challenges facing farmers were worsened by inadequate storage facilities and inefficient transportation networks across the country.
The Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Adedayo Ajayi, reaffirmed the faculty’s commitment to agricultural innovation, research and national development through knowledge-driven initiatives.
Ajayi said the faculty would continue efforts to transform the institution into a major centre for food production and agricultural development within the university community.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of OAU, Prof. Adebayo Bamire, represented by the Dean of the Faculty of Technology, Prof. Lasisi Umoru, commended the faculty for its contributions to agricultural training and research.
He urged participants to use the lecture as an opportunity to develop practical solutions to challenges confronting the agricultural sector.
