Nigeria Loses N1.3bn to Tomato Ebola Outbreak – Minister
Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, has said that Nigeria has so far lost more than N1.3 billion due to the outbreak of Tuta absoluta, commonly known as the tomato leaf miner or “Tomato Ebola,” in three states.
Kyari disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at an ongoing four-day capacity-building workshop for financial institutions.
The workshop is organised by HortiNigeria in collaboration with the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Plc.
Kyari said the outbreak had caused the price of a 50-kilogramme basket of tomatoes to surge from N5,000 to N10,000 and in some cases up to N30,000, thereby exacerbating food inflation and straining household budgets.
According to him, the states where the losses were recorded include Kano, Katsina, and Kaduna.
He explained that the Tomato Ebola outbreak had underscored the fragility of the country’s horticultural systems, adding that the invasive pest could decimate tomato crops within 48 hours, leading to catastrophic yield losses.
“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,” he said.
“Tomatoes and peppers, essential ingredients in virtually every Nigerian kitchen, serve as baseline commodities for daily cooking. When the prices of these staples spike, they trigger a chain reaction that affects the cost of meals across homes, restaurants, and food vendors.”
Kyari cited the 2024 National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report, noting that tomatoes led the food price index with a staggering 320 percent 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 added.
The minister described horticulture—often referred to as the “sleeping giant” of Nigerian agriculture—as holding immense promise that the country must awaken.
To achieve this, he stressed the need to ensure access to sustainable and well-structured financing.
Kyari, who identified horticulture as the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, flowers, and ornamentals, described it as far more than a sub-sector of agriculture.
“It is a dynamic engine for rural transformation, job creation, improved nutrition, and trade diversification,” he said.
“With increasing urbanisation 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 added that despite the challenges facing the horticulture sector, it remains one of the most promising frontiers for agricultural transformation.
He noted that, unlike staple crop farming, horticulture offers higher value per hectare—ideal for smallholder commercialisation—shorter production cycles, and allows multiple harvests annually.
He further stated that the sector has greater labour absorption potential, creating year-round employment, especially for women and youth, and strong linkages to processing, packaging, retail, and export markets.
“The sector also offers climate resilience through protected cultivation and irrigation systems, urban food access through peri-urban farming, and logistics integration.
“Horticulture is a high-impact, high-return opportunity sitting at the intersection of agriculture, health, industry, and trade,” he emphasised.
The minister listed key contributions of the sector to Nigeria’s agricultural transformation, including diversification of agricultural production and incomes, food and nutrition security, employment, and youth engagement.
Other contributions, according to him, include import substitution, export potential, climate adaptation and resilience, as well as urban market integration.
Kyari explained that the sector enables smallholder farmers to diversify their production portfolios and earn steady incomes beyond traditional grain cycles.
“Crops like tomatoes, pineapples, cucumbers, citrus, and plantains have huge domestic demand and are increasingly becoming important commercial crops,” he noted.
“On food and nutrition security, horticultural crops are rich sources of vitamins A and C, iron, zinc, and folate—nutrients vital for child development, maternal health, and disease prevention.
“Scaling up their production and affordability is key to ending malnutrition in all its forms,” he added.
He urged financial institutions to map and understand the horticulture value chain—from seed to shelf.
He further urged them to go beyond generic lending and develop tailored products aligned with the specific stages of the value chain.
He encouraged the development of fit-for-purpose financial products, including seasonal credit lines, equipment leasing, invoice discounting, and trade financing.
“Horticulture is not only a farming activity; it is a vibrant agribusiness ecosystem with scalable investment opportunities that can drive inclusive growth and food system transformation in Nigeria,” he said.
“Together, we can unlock the power of horticulture to nourish our people, build wealth, and drive inclusive, sustainable growth.
“By building your capacity and investing wisely in the horticulture value chain, you are not just financing crops—you are financing livelihoods, nutrition, resilience, and inclusive growth, and sowing the seeds for a healthier, wealthier, and more resilient Nigeria,” he further stated. (
NAN
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