At a time when Nigeria loses about $10b yearly to post-harvest losses – a major challenge that threatens food security, and weakens the economy, there are growing fears that this issue might wipe out nearly half of the nation’s agricultural output, if urgent solutions are not proffered.

Ecotutu, a firm renowned for its expertise in cold chain solutions, is already changing this narrative. Through its operations, it has empowered farmers to reduce waste, increase their income, and contribute to food security, by extending the shelf life of fruits, vegetables, and other horticultural products, and improving market access for the farmers.

The firm’s impact report 2025 displayed how Ecotutu successfully moved and stored about 18,000 tonnes of perishable produce across Nigeria, preventing roughly 13,000 tonnes of food loss in the process within the year under review.

The report showed that users of cold storage recorded an average income increase of 30 per cent in 2025, because they could hold inventory longer, reduce waste and meet buyer quality standards consistently. For processors, access to cold logistics reduced rejected raw materials by up to 45 per cent, stabilising supply chains that are often disrupted by heat exposure and transport delays.

The impact is more evident in horticulture, where heat sensitivity makes fruits and vegetables highly vulnerable. Farmers and aggregators using cold storage reported up to a 35 per cent reduction in spoilage, helping preserve both food value and embedded resources such as water, land and labour.

The report reveals that the firm’s impact is assessed across three interconnected pillars: Social Impact, Economic Impact and Environmental Impact.

Under the Social Impact, the report reveals that farmers and traders experienced up to 35 per cent reduction in spoilage; food businesses gained market intelligence and predictability, enabling them to commit to buyers and contracts; women-led enterprises leveraged cold storage to improve inventory management and cash flow; youth employment expanded through hub operations, maintenance, and logistics roles; as communities gained improved food safety and nutrition, especially during peak heat periods.

For the Economic Impact, while noting that the firm’s initiatives are enabling business growth, the report said the impacts have led to 30 per cent increase in average earnings for storage user; up to 45 per cent reduction in rejected raw materials for processors; 70 per cent cost savings versus diesel-powered alternatives; improved product quality and shelf stability; and expanded market reach for SMEs and aggregators,

Through the Environmental Impact, 13,000 tonnes of food were saved, reducing methane emissions; solar-powered systems displaced diesel usage; energy-efficient solutions cut electricity demand by up to 60 per cent; and reduced land, water, and energy waste embedded in spoiled food.

Case studies from the report show how temperature-controlled transport preserved mango pulp for Reel Fruit, a dried fruit agro company, that wanted to move from Ogun to Lagos, reduced spoilage for fresh produce distribution within Lagos, and protected pineapples transported across borders from the Benin Republic to Nigeria, routes where heat exposure previously wipedout value before goods reached the market.

As part of its strategic intervention aimed at unlocking ecosystem-wide progress, Ecotutu convened the Cold Chain in Agriculture Roundtable 2025. The Roundtable was designed to bridge policy, finance, technology, and practice, creating a neutral platform where stakeholders could move beyond diagnosis toward implementation-ready solutions for Nigeria’s cold-chain deficit.

While infrastructure deployment is essential, Ecotutu recognises that cold-chain failure in Nigeria is fundamentally a systems challenge, not a technology problem alone.

The roundtable highlighted that players in storage, logistics, and energy value chains must work together; if not, losses simply shift from one point in the value chain to another.

It was also discussed that infrastructure is often deployed in the wrong places, clustered around urban markets rather than production and aggregation zones where losses actually occur.

Financing also remains misaligned, with high interest rates and weak collateral frameworks limiting cold-chain investment, despite clear demand.

The report further revealed that its survey showed that women appear to be central beneficiaries. About 45 percent of Ecotutu’s users in 2025 were women, reflecting their dominant role in food trading and processing.

It stressed that women-led enterprises exhibited strong utilisation discipline, translating cold storage access into better cash flow and inventory management.

In his message, the Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Babajide Oluwase, said Ecotutu has always set out to be an enabler for businesses rather than just a provider of cold chain solutions. “In 2025, we turned that mission into the operational reality that now defines our growth.

“In 2025, we moved and stored approximately 18,000 tonnes of perishable produce. We helped prevent roughly 13,000 tonnes of food loss. We also validated a critical truth about our market: women are the backbone of food security. With women making up 45 per cent of our beneficiaries, we have seen that when you provide reliable infrastructure, women-led businesses grow at a remarkable pace.”

He reveals the firm’s mandate to deploy over 40 new solar and hybrid cold chain hubs at key logistics points this year, and ensuring access for over 15,000 users. “We believe that closing the African cold chain gap requires a collective effort, and we hope you join us to build this future.”