Professor urges smart storage to curb Nigeria’s estimated N14.4tn crop losses
Professor Olubunmi Akinola has urged governments to adopt locally developed automation and smart-storage systems to reduce post-harvest losses in Nigeria. He said the country loses an estimated N14.4tn, or 50 to 60 per cent of crop production, and called for local manufacturing and farmer training to make the technology accessible.
Governments at all levels should adopt locally developed automation and smart-storage technologies to reduce post-harvest losses and improve food security, Professor Olubunmi Akinola of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, has said. Akinola made the call on Wednesday while delivering the university’s 115th inaugural lecture, titled “Beyond Solid-State Electronics: Driving Automation for Sustainable Development”. He said Nigeria could improve food sufficiency by using technology to preserve farm produce and reduce waste.
According to the professor, the country loses between 50 and 60 per cent of its crop production after harvest, representing an estimated N14.4tn. He said the amount was roughly a quarter of Nigeria’s 2025 budget and would have a major economic impact if saved and invested in other sectors. Akinola said his research had produced HarvestHarbor, an automated storage chamber designed to regulate temperature, humidity and other atmospheric conditions.
The Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority, he added, was supporting the construction of four facilities across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun states. The system uses sensors, automated controls, compression and refrigeration principles to create a controlled environment for stored crops. Akinola said it reduces transpiration and respiration, prevents microbial damage and helps preserve the freshness, firmness and colour of fruit.
He said the technology operated optimally at between 98 and 99 per cent effectiveness and was being improved to accommodate products including yam and other tubers, rice grains and palm oil. His other research includes storage chambers for watermelon and oranges, environmental monitoring systems and an electronic pest-repellent system. Akinola called for policies that would support domestic production of electronic components, saying local manufacturing could make the systems more affordable for farmers.
He also urged collaboration among universities, research institutions and private companies to commercialise research. He recommended training for farmers, extension officers and agro-processing stakeholders so that smart-storage systems could be operated and maintained effectively. Universities, he said, should turn research into practical technologies that improve lives and support development.
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