WORRIED by the lingering challenges of post-harvest losses in Nigeria, Ecotutu and Lange and Grant have entered into a partnership for the production of cold room, with the promise of more innovation to shape the agricultural sector.

Nigeria loses an estimated ₦14.4 trillion to ₦16 trillion annually to post-harvest food losses, which account for 40% to 50% of its total agricultural produce. These losses are due to inadequate cold-chain infrastructure, including a lack of refrigerated transport, modular cold storage, and proper warehousing. Reliance on open, uninsulated trucks, bad rural roads that bruise and spoil produce, and an inconsistent power supply are also blamed for the losses.

During the launch of the Cold Room Showroom in Surulere, Lagos witnessed by executives from the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and other organisations, the two firms stated that the move is another step toward making innovative cold storage and quality construction solutions more accessible, as well as finding practical and reliable solutions.

Through the partnership, the two firms also showcased construction solutions, including insulated sandwich panels for cold rooms, prefabricated buildings, roofing panels, EPS fiber cement products, and light-gauge steel systems.

Speaking at the event, CEO of Lange and Grant, Tunde Okoya, said: “Our core competence is the manufacture of structural insulated panels, which are the main building block in the manufacture of cold rooms. We are happy to partner with Ecotutu; we share the same ethos in terms of innovation, a strong belief in the economy, and a commitment to cutting down post-harvest losses in Nigeria.”

“This is a solution for the entire food value chain. The idea is to constantly introduce new products and innovations that will continuously improve productivity. Anything that boosts productivity in rural communities will reduce the cost of food. I would like to see us coming out with more solutions, including for abattoirs and dairy processing centers—solutions that could even help end the herder-farmer crisis.”

On his part, CEO, Ecotutu, Babajide Oluwase, said: “As a company, we are aware of the problems and opportunities across the food value chain in Nigeria. We decided to design and build energy-efficient cold-room solutions that cater to preservation from the point of harvest to aggregation, market points, and ultimately the final consumer.”

“We are mindful of our environment as a country that is energy-poor, so these solutions are primarily powered by solar energy. They are also designed to be automated. Beyond storing agricultural produce, they can be used to store vaccines. Additionally, they can be monitored via smartphone or computer from anywhere in the world.”

Speaking also, Chief Marketing Officer at Ecotutu, Michael Akinsete, added: “It is no longer news that up to 50 percent of the food produced in Nigeria goes to waste due to a lack of access to cold storage solutions. We have been solving this problem systematically since 2022, and this collaboration will further expand our solution across Nigeria. The impact will be more food on our tables, lower food prices, and business owners who can extend the shelf life of their stock and maximize value.

We are currently operating in 10 states, and those who cannot afford to own the technology can access it on a ‘pay-as-you-chill’ basis. We have already deployed solutions in Mile 12, Ajah, and Ogudu in Lagos.”