By Paul Williams
Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), in collaboration with the Rivers State University (RSU), has commissioned a Post-Harvest Storage Hub at the institution, with the aim of reducing Nigeria’s post-harvest losses through research and innovation.
Experts estimate that Nigeria loses as much as N3.5 trillion yearly, 30 per cent of its harvest, due to lack of adequate processing and storage facilities.
Lateef Sanni, NSPRI’s Chief Executive Officer, while commissioning the hub at the university on May 28, 2025, said the institute was focused on reducing Nigeria’s post-harvest losses through the use of technology and innovation.
Sanni said reduction in post-harvest losses would enhance food security and increase farmers’ income.
He had earlier in the year explained to journalists that NSPRI was focused on developing low-cost, locally adapted post-harvest technologies such as improved storage structures, moisture meters, solar dryers, and hermetic storage media to protect grains from pests and moisture, reducing post-harvest losses.
To address this, he said, NSPRI has developed solutions including the Parabolic Shaped Solar Dryer (PSSD) and small-scale silos with capacities of two and five tons, tailored for the needs of small-scale farmers and processors.
The post-harvest hub commissioned at the Rivers State University on Wednesday comprises of a parabolic shaped solar dryer (PSSD), inert atmosphere silo (IAS) and a processing unit housing Hermetic Drum (HD), Smoking kilns (WSK/GSK), and Multi-Crop dryer.
During the commissioning, Sanni said that the inner silo can do a lot of storage modeling. “If you look at the issue of cascading from the storage of either maize, which we have done in our institute, and the quality, the viability of the grains was retained.
“My colleagues in engineering can come here and do a lot of engineering modeling with this kind of facility,” he said, adding that the facility offers opportunities for undergraduate or postgraduate research in agriculture or engineering.
Isacc Zeb-Obipi, Vice chancellor of the Rivers State University, appreciated the fact that the project offers opportunities for teaching, learning and research, as well as for commercial purposes.
He described the collaboration between NSPRI and the university as a step towards addressing improving food security in the country and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
Patience Obinna-Echem, Head, Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Rivers State University, while explaining the various sections of the hub, described it as a significant milestone, not just for the academic community, but for marketers of agricultural produce (local, national and international), wider agricultural community in Rivers State and beyond.
“This post-harvest hub comprises of the following: A parabolic shaped solar dryer (PSSD) where the parabolic dish collector concentrates solar energy onto the drying trays, generating heat and subsequent evaporation of moisture from the product within a short period without loss of product quality.
“An inert atmosphere silo (IAS) which is a large storage tank that is filled with grains or legumes for storage through a conveyor and using gravity to achieve the dispensing of the stored product. Inert gas such as nitrogen is introduced to create less oxygen atmosphere and; with temperature and humidity under monitor, the shelf-life of the stored product is guaranteed for years.
“A processing unit where the raw agricultural produce (RAP) pass through different unit operations in readiness for drying, smoking and appropriate storage,” she said.
Obinna-Echem said the processing unit contains: “Hermetic drums (HD): drums that can be air-tightly sealed to restrict gas exchange while controlling moisture and pest ingress thereby prolonging the keeping quality of the stored products.
“Smoking kilns (WSK/GSK): drying chambers that uses smoke with all its compounds (phenols, aldehydes, ketones, acids, and hydrocarbons), heat and airflow to dry, develop desirable sensory properties that will meet consumers stated/implied needs, and,
“Multi-Crop dryer. that uses heat from burning gas to reduce water activity and lock up volatiles in the tissues of the dried product to be used for various purposes. The preserved volatiles and reduced water activity improves sensory properties, prevents microbial proliferation, and thus prolonging products shelf-life,” she said.
Obinna-Echem further noted that the facility will serve as a practical training centre for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, a resource hub for researchers, a support platform for local farmers and agro-processors in our region, as well as marketers.”
