The Federal Government has urged African countries to use public procurement strategically to improve logistics, reduce post-harvest losses and strengthen food security.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Marcus O. Ogunbiyi, made the call on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at the Africa Procurement and Supply Chain Summit and Awards 2026 in Lagos.
Ogunbiyi said public procurement had moved beyond an administrative function and should be used to stimulate economic growth, strengthen institutions and improve public services.
He noted that governments spend between 12 and 20 per cent of their gross domestic product through public procurement, making procurement decisions capable of influencing industrial growth, employment, infrastructure and public value.
He said agricultural procurement should address logistics and supply chain weaknesses responsible for food losses and increased prices.
“This is particularly significant for Africa, where supply chain inefficiencies remain one of the greatest constraints to economic growth and regional competitiveness. Poor transport networks, inadequate logistics infrastructure, fragmented cross-border systems, high freight costs, limited warehousing capacity, and delays in the movement of goods continue to increase the cost of doing business and undermine the efficiency of public investments,” he said.
Ogunbiyi said farmers required efficient logistics to access seeds, fertilisers, machinery and extension services, while harvested produce needed to move quickly from farms to aggregation centres, processing facilities, storage hubs and markets.
“Weak logistics and transportation systems contribute significantly to post-harvest losses, reduce farmers’ incomes, increase food prices, and weaken food security across the continent,” he said.
He urged governments to use transparent procurement systems to invest in roads, railways, inland waterways, ports, cold-chain infrastructure, warehouses and digital logistics platforms.
According to him, the investments would improve connections between producers and markets and support trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Ogunbiyi also called for the adoption of digital procurement platforms, electronic contract management, artificial intelligence, data analytics, blockchain and smart logistics systems.
“Strengthening transparent, technology-driven procurement and resilient supply chains is critical to realizing the aspirations of Agenda 2063 and maximizing opportunities presented by the AfCFTA,” he said.
He said the Ministry was using procurement to support agricultural productivity, mechanisation, irrigation, storage, processing and competitive agricultural value chains.
“As Accounting Officer, I remain steadfast in ensuring that every procurement process within the Ministry complies with the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and is guided by integrity, due process, competition, and effective contract management,” Ogunbiyi said.
He listed ongoing reforms to include the digitalisation of procurement processes, stronger monitoring and evaluation, professionalisation of procurement officers and increased stakeholder engagement.
The summit also featured an awards ceremony recognising individuals and organisations in procurement and supply chain management.
The statement was signed by Ezeaja Ikemefuna, Head, Department of Information, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
