Nigeria has been ranked the highest food-wasting country in Africa, losing about 38 million tonnes of food every year, a development experts say threatens food security and undermines environmental sustainability.
The disclosure was made by the European Union during the commemoration of this year’s International Zero Waste Day held in Abuja, where stakeholders called for urgent measures to reduce food waste and promote sustainable production and consumption.
The event, organised in collaboration with the Federal Government and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), was themed “Food Waste Reduction – Minimisation and Valorisation.”
Speaking at the gathering, Deputy Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Zissimos Vergos, said the scale of food waste in Nigeria represents a major loss of resources and a setback in the fight against hunger.
According to him, the wastage of food also means that the water, energy, labour and financial resources used in producing the food are equally lost.
Vergos noted that globally, about one billion tonnes of food — nearly one-fifth of all food available to consumers — was wasted in 2022 alone.
“This is not just a loss of food; it is a waste of precious resources and a missed opportunity to tackle hunger. It is also a direct threat to the health of our planet,” he said.
He further explained that food waste contributes significantly to environmental damage, accounting for up to 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and about 40 per cent of methane emissions worldwide.
Despite the challenge, Vergos acknowledged that Nigeria has begun taking steps to address the problem through initiatives such as the Nigeria Circular Economy Roadmap and the establishment of the Interministerial Circular Economy Committee.
He also highlighted ongoing efforts to develop a National Plastic Waste Management Regulation as part of broader environmental reforms.
“These initiatives show that Nigeria is taking important steps to build systems that can address waste and promote sustainability,” he said.
Drawing from the EU’s experience, Vergos recommended three key actions to help Nigeria reduce food waste. These include improving rural infrastructure such as roads, storage and cold-chain systems to minimise post-harvest losses; promoting agro-processing to convert fresh produce into value-added products; and introducing zero-waste and recycling education in schools to promote sustainable habits among young people.
He reaffirmed the EU’s willingness to support Nigeria through technical cooperation, funding and policy partnerships aimed at tackling food waste.
In his keynote address, Minister of Environment Balarabe Lawal described food waste as a major environmental and economic challenge.
He noted that while large quantities of food are wasted annually, many Nigerians still face food insecurity.
“Every time food is wasted, the resources used to produce it — water, energy, labour and capital — are also wasted,” the minister said.
Lawal revealed that the Federal Ministry of Environment has included projects focused on reducing food waste in major markets across the country in the 2026 national budget.
According to him, the initiative is targeted at tackling post-harvest losses and promoting responsible consumption practices.
He added that addressing food waste would help reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions while encouraging efficient use of natural resources.
Also speaking, Ambassador Philbert Johnson, Director and Representative of the UNIDO Sub-Regional Office in Nigeria, stressed that efficient food systems are essential for economic growth and social stability.
“Food is more than just a commodity; it supports livelihoods, strengthens economies and sustains communities,” he said.
Johnson warned that when food systems fail and large quantities of food are lost or wasted, the impact is felt across economies, the environment and society.
He reaffirmed UNIDO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in building resilient and sustainable agro-industrial systems that can improve food security and reduce waste.
Stakeholders at the event emphasised that tackling food waste remains critical to strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, improving food availability and advancing the global goal of building a circular and zero-waste economy.
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