Nigeria Tops Africa With 38 Million Tonnes of Food Wasted Yearly, EU Says
Nigeria discards roughly 38 million tonnes of food each year, the highest volume of any African nation, according to data disclosed by the European Union during this year’s International Zero Waste Day commemoration in Abuja. The staggering figure has prompted urgent calls from the EU, Federal Government, and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation for coordinated action to address post-harvest losses and unsustainable consumption patterns.
Zissimos Vergos, Deputy Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, delivered the statistics at an event themed “Food waste reduction – minimisation and valorisation” on Monday. He noted that globally, nearly one billion tonnes of food was wasted in 2022 alone, representing almost one-fifth of all food available to consumers. “This is not just a loss of food, it is a squandering of precious resources, a missed opportunity to combat hunger, and a direct threat to our planet’s health,” Vergos stated .
The environmental toll extends well beyond the immediate waste. Food loss and waste contribute up to 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions—nearly five times the emissions of the entire aviation sector—and account for as much as 40 per cent of worldwide methane emissions . When food decomposes in landfills, the water, energy, and labour invested in its production are effectively squandered, accelerating climate change and undermining circular economy objectives .
Vergos outlined three strategic recommendations drawn from EU experience to help Nigeria tackle the crisis. First, he urged investment in rural roads, storage infrastructure, and cold chain facilities to resolve the “last mile” distribution gap between farms and markets. Second, he advocated for stronger linkages between smallholder farmers and processors to convert fresh produce into value-added goods such as tomato paste and cassava flour. Third, he proposed embedding zero-waste principles, recycling, and resource conservation into primary school curricula to cultivate sustainable practices among future generations .
“The Nigeria Circular Economy Roadmap, the establishment of the Interministerial Circular Economy Committee, the push to develop a National Plastic Waste Management Regulation, these are not small gestures. These are structural shifts,” Vergos said. “These signal that Nigeria is not waiting for someone else to solve its problem; it is building the system to solve it from within” .
Balarabe Lawal, Minister of Environment, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development during his keynote address. He disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Environment has allocated resources in the current national appropriation for food waste elimination projects targeting major markets across the country. “Food waste remains a significant challenge that affects not only our environment, but also our economy and society. Every discarded meal represents wasted resources such as water, energy, labour, and capital, while Nigerians continue to face food insecurity,” Lawal stated .
Ambassador Philbert Johnson, Director and Representative of UNIDO’s Sub-Regional Office in Nigeria, emphasised the multidimensional impact of food system failures. “Food is far more than a commodity: it is a foundation of wealth, a driver of health, and a pillar of security. It sustains our homes, supports industries, and underpins the stability of our societies,” he said. “When food systems fail, when food is lost or wasted, the consequences ripple across our economies, our environment, and our communities” . Johnson reaffirmed UNIDO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s development of resilient and inclusive agro-industrial systems.
The EU delegation indicated readiness to support Nigeria’s anti-food waste initiatives through funding, technical cooperation, and “genuine solidarity,” though specific financial commitments were not disclosed at the event . The partnership aligns with broader EU-Nigeria cooperation on circular economy transition, which has included technical assistance for developing Nigeria’s Circular Economy Roadmap and support for waste management policy frameworks .