Nigeria needs 5,000 cold trucks and 100 cold rooms, each with a capacity of 500 tonnes, to tackle its N3.5 trillion yearly post-harvest losses, according to the Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA).

The President of the association, Mr. Alexander Isong, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. According to Isong, Nigeria produces approximately 55 million metric tonnes of food yearly, but about 40 per cent is lost due to inadequate cold chain infrastructure.
He noted that this results in an economic loss of over N3.5 trillion each year.

He noted that, currently, Nigeria only has a few small and inadequate cold rooms.
“Nigeria is next to zero, we have very small cold rooms that don’t scratch the surface. The only produce that benefits from some cold storage is imported fish,” he said.

Isongemphasised that cold chain infrastructure plays a crucial role in addressing food insecurity in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, particularly in reducing post-harvest losses.

“If the government’s primary concern is not combating post-harvest losses, achieving the goal of completely eradicating food insecurity in Nigeria will indeed be challenging,” he said. He described the country’s cold chain infrastructure as woefully inadequate, presenting serious challenges for organisations.

“The primary obstacle is the lack of adequate cold storage facilities, which severely hampers efforts to address post-harvest losses.

“Cold chain is an integral part of agriculture, and without sufficient investment, the sector’s growth and potential are severely limited,” he explained.