NSPRI
The Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) is a parastatal in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD). The Institute is being supervised by the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN). Established in 1948 as West African Stored Products Research Unit (WASPRU) during the colonial era, the Institute’s primary responsibility was to assess the quality of exportable crops from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Gambia to the United Kingdom. It became Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute after the independence in 1960. As the only Postharvest research institute in the country, NSPRI contributes to national and regional food security through its mandate of improving bulk storage of agricultural commodities, crop value addition and safe handling of crops and products from farm to fork to reduce postharvest losses.
The Vision of the Institute is to be a leading provider of Agricultural Postharvest Solution in Nigeria and West African Sub-region while the Mission is to Reducing Postharvest losses by ensuring the quality, safety and availability of Agricultural Produce.
The Institute is saddled with the responsibility of conducting research into the postharvest handling problems of agricultural commodities and fabricate pilot scale postharvest handling equipment. NSPRI shall disseminate results of research through appropriate extension methods to improve competence and skills of farmers, agro-processors, produce handlers and inspectors. It shall also in collaboration with other agencies, develop standards for marketing of agricultural commodities.
The Institute achieves these by working closely with its Stakeholders- Smallholder Farmers, Processors, Traders, and Exporters through capacity building on best practices and creating enabling environment to reduce agricultural post-harvest losses sustainably.