Expert Raises Alarm Over Urgent Need to Fix Nigeria’s Food Supply Chain System
By Tosin Clegg
An expert in strategic management and agricultural supply systems, Sarah Onyeche Usoro, has raised the alarm on the urgent need for Nigeria to overhaul its food supply chains, warning that inefficiencies between farm and market are worsening food inflation and undermining farmer incomes.
Speaking virtually at an agribusiness conference from her base in the the US, Usoro stressed that Nigeria’s food crisis cannot be solved by production alone, insisting that structural weaknesses in aggregation, storage, and distribution remain the country’s biggest blind spot.
“Nigeria needs to urgently rethink how food moves from farm to market,” she said.
“We keep focusing on increasing production, but we are not paying enough attention to what happens after harvest. That is where we are losing significant value.”
According to her, persistent post-harvest losses, fragmented logistics networks, and weak coordination between producers and buyers are creating artificial scarcity in many parts of the country.
“When farmers harvest and cannot access structured storage or reliable transport, food spoils.
When distribution channels are disorganized, supply becomes unstable. And when supply is unstable, prices spike,” Usoro explained.
“This is not just an agricultural issue; it is an economic stability issue.”
The management strategist, who has transitioned her expertise into agribusiness advisory and supply chain optimization, argued that Nigeria must adopt structured, data-driven systems similar to those used in more developed agricultural economies.
“We need to professionalize agribusiness management,” she said.
“Agriculture should be treated as a business ecosystem. That means clear inventory planning, transparent supplier coordination, reliable aggregation models, and strong governance frameworks.”
Usoro noted that many small and medium-scale agribusinesses operate without proper inventory systems or long-term distribution planning, leading to inefficiencies that compound across the value chain.
“Without data and accountability, we cannot measure losses accurately or fix them effectively,” she said. “We need systems that allow farmers, aggregators, processors, and retailers to communicate seamlessly.”
She further emphasised that strengthening food supply chains could be one of the fastest ways to stabilize food prices nationwide.
“If we fix the movement of food, we ease pressure on markets,” she said. “Stable supply reduces panic buying, reduces middlemen distortions, and ultimately improves affordability for consumers.”
Usoro also called for stronger private-sector investment in logistics infrastructure, particularly in cold storage facilities, warehousing, and value-chain financing.
“Government cannot do this alone,” she said.
“We need deliberate private-sector participation in agricultural logistics. Investment in storage and distribution infrastructure will dramatically cut waste and improve margins for farmers.”
While acknowledging ongoing policy efforts in the agricultural sector, she warned that reforms must go beyond production targets and subsidy programs.
“Nigeria needs a coordinated supply chain framework,” she concluded.
“Until we treat food systems with the same seriousness we treat financial systems or telecommunications, we will continue to face recurring food crises.”
