The Federal Government has revealed that Nigeria has so far lost more than N1.3 billion to the outbreak of Tuta absoluta, a pest commonly known as the tomato leaf miner or “Tomato Ebola,” in three states.
Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, made this known on Wednesday in Abuja during the ongoing four-day capacity-building workshop for financial institutions.
The workshop is organized by HortiNigeria in collaboration with the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Plc.
Kyari noted that the outbreak had triggered a surge in the price of a 50-kilogramme basket of tomatoes from N5,000 to N10,000 and approximately N30,000, thereby worsening food inflation and putting pressure on household budgets.
According to him, the states where the losses were recorded include Kano, Katsina, and Kaduna.
He explained that the outbreak of tomato Ebola highlighted the fragility of Nigeria’s horticultural systems, noting that the invasive pest can destroy tomato crops within 48 hours, resulting in catastrophic yield losses.
Urgency for pest management and resilient crop varieties
According to him, this crisis highlights the urgent need for integrated pest management strategies, investment in resilient crop varieties, and enhanced support for farmers to safeguard the country’s food supply chains.
“Tomatoes and pepper, essential ingredients in virtually every Nigerian kitchen, serve as baseline commodities for daily cooking.
“When the prices of these staples spike, they set off a chain reaction that affects the cost of meals across homes, restaurants, and food vendors.
“According to the 2024 National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), tomatoes led the food price index with a staggering 320 per cent year-on-year increase, followed by peppers and other produce.
“These spikes disproportionately affect low-income households, underlining the urgent need for more stable production, better storage and accessible finance across the horticulture value chain,” he said.
The minister described horticulture, often referred to as the “sleeping giant” of Nigerian agriculture, as a sector with immense potential that the country must urgently awaken.
He emphasized that unlocking this potential requires access to sustainable and well-structured financing.
Kyari, who defined horticulture as the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, flowers, and ornamentals, noted that it is far more than just a sub-sector of agriculture.
Horticulture as a catalyst for rural transformation
According to him, horticulture is a dynamic engine for rural transformation, job creation, improved nutrition, and trade diversification.
“With increasing urbanization and growing awareness of healthy diets, consumer demand for fresh and diverse produce is rising rapidly. Horticulture is well-positioned to meet this demand,” he said.
He added that despite the challenges facing the sector, horticulture remains one of the most promising frontiers for agricultural transformation.
- Kyari further noted that, unlike staple crop farming, horticulture offers higher value per hectare, making it ideal for smallholder commercialization along with shorter production cycles and the possibility of multiple harvests annually.
- He further stated that the horticulture sector has a high capacity for labour absorption, creating year-round employment opportunities, particularly for women and youth, while also maintaining strong linkages to processing, packaging, retail, and export markets.
“The sector also promotes climate resilience through protected cultivation and irrigation systems and improves urban food access through peri-urban farming and integrated logistics,” he said.
Kyari emphasized that horticulture represents a high-impact, high-return opportunity situated at the intersection of agriculture, health, industry, and trade.
He highlighted the sector’s key contributions to Nigeria’s agricultural transformation, including the diversification of agricultural production and incomes, enhancement of food and nutrition security, job creation, and increased youth engagement.
Other benefits, according to him, include import substitution, export potential, climate adaptation and resilience, as well as the integration of urban markets.
Diversification and steady income for smallholder farmers
The minister explained that horticulture enables smallholder farmers to diversify their production portfolios and generate steady income beyond the traditional grain cycles.
“Crops like tomatoes, pineapples, cucumbers, citrus, and plantains have enormous domestic demand and are increasingly becoming key commercial crops,” he noted.
On food and nutrition security, Kyari said horticultural crops are rich in essential nutrients such as vitamins A and C, iron, zinc, and folate, all vital for child development, maternal health, and disease prevention.
“Scaling up the production and affordability of these crops is crucial to ending malnutrition in all its forms,” he added.
- Kyari urged financial institutions to thoroughly map and understand the horticulture value chain from seed to shelf.
- He called on them to move beyond generic lending practices and instead develop tailored financial products that align with the specific needs of each stage in the value chain.
He specifically recommended the design of fit-for-purpose instruments such as seasonal credit lines, equipment leasing, invoice discounting, and trade financing.
