The President of the Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA), Mr Alexander Isong, says Nigerians may face rice, tomato and staple food shortages within three months. Isong, also the country director, Nigeria World Agriculture Forum, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos. He said the projected shortages could worsen food inflation and further strain households already struggling with rising food prices across the country.
According to him, rice production is projected to decline by six per cent to about 8.3 million tonnes, while cultivated land may be reduced by seven per cent. Production is projected to drop six per cent to 8.3 million tonnes. “The area planted is down seven per cent to 4.2 million hectares.
“The United States Department of Agricultureconfirms a five per cent decrease year-on-year. Tomatoes are another headache,” he said. He said lower production and reduced planting would significantly reduce food availability in major markets nationwide.
Isong said the tomato shortage could persist until the late harvest season expected in October. He added that maize, sorghum and millet could also face supply pressure because of reduced planting recorded in 2025. “Moving a tonne of grain from Kano to Lagos now costs N70,000.
On some routes, transport fares have doubled or even tripled. Energy is another killer,” Isong said. He said onions and peppers were already experiencing limited supply in major producing areas, leading to sudden increases in prices.
The OTACCWA president said Nigeria would continue depending heavily on wheat imports, with about 7.2 million tonnes expected to be imported. He blamed insecurity, declining production, supply chain disruptions and inadequate storage infrastructure for the growing food supply challenges. According to him, thousands of farmers have been displaced in northern Nigeria, disrupting farming activities and reducing agricultural output.
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