Victoria Mbangwa
The Federal Government has announced plans to revitalize the Silos Concession Programme as part of renewed efforts to curb postharvest losses, strengthen food storage systems, and attain food sovereignty.
Speaking at a high-level meeting with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) in Abuja, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said silo rehabilitation is crucial to safeguarding Nigeria’s food supply.
“Storage facilities are essential to our food security drive, as they directly address wastage and ensure year-round availability of staple crops,” Kyari stated.
The Minister revealed that out of the 17 silo complexes concessioned to five private companies, only Flour Mills of Nigeria has consistently met all contractual obligations and is operating three silo complexes optimally.
“Several concessionaires failed to put silo facilities into optimal operating condition despite earlier agreements. Monitoring visits showed little or no progress in some facilities, with cases of vandalization and collapsed perimeter fences in places such as Ikorodu and Ogoja,” he said.
Kyari added that some concessionaires defaulted on payment obligations, while only Flour Mills consistently met both performance and financial conditions. He emphasized that the ministry will partner with ICRC to enforce compliance and ensure that only competent operators manage silo facilities going forward.
ICRC’s Director General, Dr. Jobson Oseodian Ewalefoh, backed the move, insisting that non-performing contracts must be reviewed.
“Only private companies with real operational needs for silos should be retained. Abandoned silos should be retrieved by the federal government,” Ewalefoh advised, adding that several concessionaires had also failed to remit required returns to government coffers.
The meeting culminated in the establishment of a review committee tasked with assessing contractual clauses, monitoring performance, and designing a clear operational framework for effective management of silo facilities.
The renewed push, the ministry noted, aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agricultural transformation agenda aimed at achieving food and nutrition security for Nigerians.
