Conference tackles postharvest loss and food safety in Nigeria

The Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), under the leadership of Professor Lateef Sanni, hosted its inaugural Postharvest Connect Conference at the NAF Conference Centre in Abuja on April 18 and 19. The conference aimed to address the critical issue of postharvest losses in Nigeria’s agricultural sector. A significant highlight of the event was the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by the Food Convergence Innovation – Nigeria platform.

The signing of the MoU, as outlined in the Communique from the FCI stakeholder convention in Nigeria, was a crucial step to formalize partners’ commitment to tackling food safety risks, particularly aflatoxins. The multistakeholder MoU was unveiled by IITA’s Deputy Director-General, Partnerships for Delivery, Kenton Dashiell, and the Honorable Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.

The Food Safety for Africa EU HORIZON project, serving as the event’s co-host, coordinated an exhibition session to showcase information about the project and strategies for addressing food safety risks. Representatives from various partner institutions, including IITA, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), and others, demonstrated their commitment to the cause.

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