News

Smart Ways To Store Fresh Vegetables Without Fridge

Published

2 weeks ago

September 8, 2026

Fresh vegetables can become expensive when a large portion ends up in the bin after spoiling. For Nigerian households, especially those dealing with unreliable electricity or limited refrigerator space, knowing how to handle vegetables properly can reduce waste and save money.

Tomatoes, peppers, onions and leafy vegetables do not all require the same storage conditions. Keeping them in the right place, protecting them from excess moisture and buying only what can be used can significantly extend their useful life.

In this article Tribune Online highlights practicals ways to store fresh vegetables without a fridge

Keep tomatoes away from unnecessary moisture

Tomatoes can spoil quickly when exposed to excess moisture and poor ventilation. If you buy ripe tomatoes, avoid washing them immediately unless you intend to use them.

Instead, remove visibly damaged tomatoes from the rest and keep the healthy ones in a clean, dry and well-ventilated area. Do not pile them too deeply. Heavy stacking can crush the tomatoes underneath and create damaged areas where spoilage begins.

Store onions in a dry, ventilated place

Onions generally last longer when kept dry and exposed to air. Avoid storing them in sealed plastic bags where moisture can accumulate. A basket, mesh bag or another well-ventilated container is more suitable.

Keep onions away from damp areas, direct sunlight and vegetables that produce significant moisture. Inspect them regularly and remove any soft or mouldy onion before it affects others.

Protect peppers from moisture

Fresh peppers can deteriorate quickly when moisture remains on their surface. Sort through them after purchase and remove damaged ones. Keep the good peppers dry and avoid sealing wet peppers inside airtight plastic bags.

If you have more peppers than you can use quickly, processing them into a paste can reduce waste. However, prepared pepper products should be handled hygienically and stored under appropriate conditions.

Leafy vegetables such as spinach, ugu and other local greens are particularly perishable. Remove damaged leaves and excess dirt, but avoid unnecessary washing if you are not going to use them immediately.

Excess moisture can encourage deterioration. For vegetables that have already been washed, drain them properly and keep them as dry as possible before storage. Because leafy vegetables spoil faster than many other vegetables, buy smaller quantities if you do not have reliable cold storage.

Keep vegetables off the floor

Do not store fresh produce directly on the floor. A raised basket, clean shelf or ventilated container protects vegetables from dirt, pests and moisture. The storage area should also be clean, dry and away from chemicals, fuel and other substances that could contaminate food.

Separate damaged vegetables

One spoiled vegetable can quickly become a problem for the others around it. Check your vegetables regularly and remove those showing mould, excessive softness, leakage or other obvious signs of spoilage. Do not simply cut away mould from soft vegetables and continue eating the remaining portion. Some moulds can spread beyond what is visible.

Buy according to your consumption

One of the simplest ways to reduce vegetable waste is to avoid buying more than you can reasonably use. If you shop weekly, estimate how much your household normally consumes and buy accordingly.

Large quantities may appear cheaper, but the saving disappears when much of the produce spoils before it is eaten.

Use older vegetables first

Arrange your vegetables so that those bought earlier are used before newer purchases. This simple habit prevents older produce from being forgotten at the bottom of a basket. You can also plan meals around vegetables that are approaching the end of their usable period.

For example, vegetables that are beginning to soften can be used in soups, stews or sauces before they deteriorate further, provided they remain safe to eat.

Keep storage areas clean

Cleanliness is essential when storing food. Regularly clean baskets, shelves and storage surfaces. Remove vegetable scraps and spilled liquids because they can attract insects and encourage microbial growth. Do not place freshly purchased vegetables on dirty surfaces or inside containers that still contain residue from previous produce.

News

Six Corps Members Receive N10m Grants To Boost Agribusiness

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2026

Editor

Six members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have received a total of N10 million in grants to expand their agribusiness ventures under the Farmers for the Future Programme.

The programme was organised on Monday by the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) in collaboration with the NYSC to encourage young Nigerians to embrace agriculture and develop sustainable businesses.

Presenting the cheques to the beneficiaries in Abuja, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, urged Corps members to maximise the opportunities provided by the service year by venturing into commodity marketing and other viable businesses.

Nafiu said agribusiness remained a viable avenue for young people to build sustainable enterprises, create employment and generate wealth.

He also stressed the importance of value addition to the success and sustainability of business ventures, while commending BATNF for placing Nigerian youths at the centre of its entrepreneurship initiatives through value-chain development, employment creation and its partnership with the NYSC.

“I charge you to spread the news around. We have seen the outcome, and it is a good idea,” he said.

The beneficiaries are Dominic Olufemi (FC/25C/1143), who received N3 million; Temitope Adewole (ED/26A/2251), N2 million; Abdulwaheed Bala (ED/25B/1402), N2 million; Olanike Mayungbe (OG/26B/1037), N1 million; Kingsley Udoeyen (KG/26A/1735), N1 million; and Lorember Lorsue (JG/25B/1742), N1 million.

Speaking on the selection process, the Acting Director, Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED), Mrs Winifred Shopeka, said the programme began with an online registration portal through which Corps Members engaged in agribusiness submitted their business plans.

She said nearly 3,000 Corps members applied and underwent a rigorous selection process that produced 20 finalists.

According to her, the finalists participated in a boot camp and a final pitching session, which produced the 10 best presenters before the six ultimate winners were selected.

Shopeka said the beneficiaries had also been mentored and attached to established market operators to assist them in marketing their products.

She added that Corps Members who did not make the final stage of the competition were also trained by BATNF.

The BATNF Team Lead, Mr Oludare Odusanya, congratulated the beneficiaries and urged Corps Members engaged in agribusiness to master the fundamentals and acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed.

“We are happy with our collaboration with the NYSC, and it will continue,” he said.

Odusanya explained that BATNF was an independent organisation established to contribute to poverty reduction in Nigeria through sustainable agricultural practices and other interventions.

He said the Farmers for the Future Programme was instituted in collaboration with the NYSC to encourage Corps Members to venture into agribusiness and become job creators.

He added that the beneficiaries would be attached to mentors who would guide them towards achieving success in their respective businesses.

According to him, the programme has, since its inception, continued to enhance the entrepreneurial capacity of Corps Members.

News

CBN Reduces Interest Rate To 23%

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2026

Editor

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Tuesday announced the reduction of the interest rate, also known as Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to 23 percent.

Briefing the media in Abuja, the Governor of the CBN, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, said at the 307th MPC meeting held on September 22, 2026 agreed the resetting of the MPR and recaliberation of the monetary policy market.

According to Cardoso, the committe is satisfied with the disinflation progress, adding that members noted stable banking sector following successful recapitalisation.

Meanwhile, according to Nigerian Tribune, reports that that the MPC, at its 306th meeting in July 2026, disclosed its resolution to retain the interets at 26.5 percent.

According to the Governor of the CBN, Olayemi Cardoso, “the Committee’s decision to maintain the current policy stance followed a thorough assessment of the balance of risks. Although headline inflation moderated marginally in June 2026, global uncertainties have heightened, due mainly to the renewed hostilities in the Middle East.

“In view of the evolving developments, maintaining a cautious monetary policy stance remains appropriate. In arriving at its decision, the Committee noted the recent resurgence of hostilities in the Middle East, with particular attention to its spillover effects on global energy prices and the potential pass-through to domestic inflation.”

News

NURTW: KWAM1 Settles Long-time Rift Between MC Oluomo, Tafa Sego

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2026

Editor

Nigerian Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM1, has brokered a peace deal between the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) National President, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, and the Lagos State Chairman of the union, Mustapha Adekunle, aka Tafa Sego.

The reconciliation took place at Ojusagbola in Ijebu, Ogun State, where several NURTW chieftains gathered for the meeting.

The development was announced on Tuesday on KWAM1’s digital media page on Instagram, alongside photographs from the meeting.

According to the post, the two union leaders have resolved their differences after years of strained relations.

“After years of an age-long rift, MC Oluomo and Tafa Sego have finally settled their differences. And from what we know now, this is final,” the post said.

The musician was said to have intervened as the Mayegun of Yorubaland, with the aim of bringing an end to the longstanding disagreement between the two NURTW figures.

“K1 acted in his role as the Mayegun of Yorubaland by seeking an end to the long-standing rift, once and for all,” it said.

The post also described the meeting as a significant step beyond previous public displays of reconciliation.

“This time, it was not just another handshake for the cameras. The two old friends and colleagues came together at Ojusagbola, with King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (K1) playing the peacemaker.”

Both MC Oluomo and Tafa Sego were reported to be pleased with the outcome of the intervention.

“Both parties are delighted about the new development,” the post said.

The two men had previously been allies and prominent figures within the Lagos NURTW before their relationship became strained amid disagreements linked to leadership of the union in the state.