Ecotutu sets to launch cold chain infrastructure in Lagos

Founder and Chief Executive, Ecotutu, Babajide Oluwase.PIX: World Economic Forum

As part of moves to provide market-led solutions to post-harvest losses for fresh produce, a startup accelerating off-grid cooling solutions firm –Ecotutu, is set to launch a solar-powered cold storage infrastructure in Mile 12 Market, Lagos State.

In a statement announcing the event scheduled for April 4, 2023, the Co-founder and CMO of the firm, Michael Akinsete, said the infrastructure will fill fresh produce supply chain gaps and facilitate marketplace opportunities for farmers and aggregators.

He said, “Our mission is to democratise access to affordable and reliable cold storage solutions in Africa. Nigerian farmers, aggregators, and retailers manage up to 23 million metric tons of fresh fruits and other vegetables worth $4b yearly, yet the country loses between 35 and 45 per cent of these due to postharvest issues during storage and distribution.

“Post-harvest losses remain a major challenge confronting the Nigerian agricultural sector for so long. Ecotutu will provide solutions to these losses through its flagship ‘pay-as-you-chill’ model by offering cooling and logistics services, and facilitating marketplace opportunities for retailers and wholesalers, without the need for the high upfront costs.”

He stated that the cooling facility helps extend the shelf life of perishable produce from two to 21 days and reduces post-harvest loss by 85 per cent.

“Each unit of Ecotutu’s solution eliminates food waste and preserves the economic value of food, enabling farmers to take a more significant share of their harvest to market. And more importantly, it boosts the confidence of the value chain players to remain in the food business.”

On his part, the Founder and Chief Executive, Ecotutu, Babajide Oluwase, said the solar-powered cooling infrastructure is designed, developed, and deployed by his organisation.

Oluwase noted that for the Ecotutu Hub, his organisation is working with Self Chill – its cooling technology partner based in Germany.

He added that the hub is 100 per cent solar-powered with a combination of renewable and thermal power to provide non-stop cooling without the use of batteries. “It is designed to operate even in areas not connected to the electricity grid,” he noted.

The event will have in attendance association heads of various fresh produce, Mile 12 Market chairman, stakeholders across the fruits and vegetable value chains, and officials from the federal and state ministry of agriculture among others.