By Gbenga Akinfenwa

The recent unveiling of the revitalised cold room, has been described as a significant milestone and a critical step in strengthening Nigeria’s horticultural value chain.

Ecotutu, a firm renowned for its expertise in cold chain solutions, which provided the technical expertise necessary to refurbish the cold room, said the revival of the 30-metric-ton cold room, served as a powerful demonstration of HortiNigeria’s potential impact on the horticulture sector.

Unveiled at the just concluded HortiFair , held at the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Ibadan, Oyo State, the move, which was aimed at enhancing the preservation and storage of perishable horticultural produce, was made possible through the collaborative efforts of Ecotutu, NIHORT, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands through the HortiNigeria programme.

The Head of Operations at Ecotutu, Adejoke Nofiu, who revealed that the restoration will significantly extend the shelf life of fruits, vegetables, and other horticultural products, reducing post-harvest losses and improving market access for Nigerian farmers, said by providing reliable cold storage, “we are empowering farmers to reduce waste, increase their income, and contribute to food security.”

The Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Babajide Oluwase, said: “This project proves how collaboration can drive transformative change in Nigeria’s food system. Ecotutu is proud to lead the charge in scaling such sustainable cold chain solutions nationwide, combining research, funding, and innovation to cut post-harvest losses, boost farmer incomes, and secure Nigeria’s future food security.”

According to the Executive Director of NIHORT, Professor Mohammed Attanda, an institute under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, which majorly financed the project, “The resuscitation of this facility, showcased during the Hortifair 2025, underscores the significance of partnership and collaboration in research and development.”

He expressed gratitude to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, IFDC, and Ecotutu for their unrelenting support in ensuring improvements in the institute’s capacity to serve horticultural value chain stakeholders.

Prof. Attanda added that the impact of the project will be far-reaching in the sense that it will reduce post-harvest losses and increase production capacity and income for smallholder farmers, adding that the ability to store produce for a longer period will also aid research activities with respect to seed viability and shelf life of horticultural produce.

The Innovation & Regional Diversification Lead, HortiNigeria, Olabisi Ilebani, said: “The Dutch-funded HortiNigeria programme, in partnership with NIHORT and Ecotutu, has revitalised the cold storage facility at NIHORT. This upgrade improves horticultural storage, reduces post-harvest losses, and boosts food security.”

The revived cold room, now an indispensable feature of NIHORT’s infrastructure, is expected to significantly impact local farmers. It will enable them to store their produce under optimal conditions and access better market prices.