By Mercy Omoike

The Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA) says Nigeria needs at least 25,000 refrigerated trucks to bridge its cold chain sector gaps.

The President of OTACCWA, Mr Alexander Isong, disclosed this in his keynote address at the Cold Chain Roundtable on Climate-Resilient Infrastructure, in Lagos.

The roundtable was in partnership with OTACCWA and other stakeholders in the sector.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Danish Consulate is pushing for more finance and investment in the cold-chain sector in Nigeria.

According to Isong, the post-harvest losses in Nigeria can be reduced to the barest minimum with the availability of a minimum of 25,000 cold trucks.

“Nigeria loses over 40 per cent of its food production to spoilage every year. That is more than 20 million metric tonnes of food—gone. The economic cost? A staggering N3.5 trillion annually.

“And yet, our cold chain sector, valued at just ₦160 billion, operates at less than four per cent of its required capacity.

“This is not just a logistical failure; it is a humanitarian crisis. It is a climate vulnerability, and it is a missed opportunity.

“Across our markets, farmers and traders watch helplessly as tomatoes begin to rot within 48 hours of harvest, fish spoils on the boat before it reaches the coast or gets sold, and vaccines lose potency enroute from large storage or foreign cold chain storage to rural clinics.

“Nigeria has fewer than 1,000 refrigerated trucks. We need 25,000 cold trucks to get the country to a manageable level of cold chain efficiency,” Isong said.

According to him, Nigeria’s cold storage facilities are next to zero. We need 100 large cold rooms—each with 500-tonne capacity—just to begin reversing post-harvest losses.

“The gaps are just as glaring. We lose an estimated $9billion annually to poor cold chain logistics in agriculture and pharmaceuticals combined.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw first-hand how fragile our vaccine distribution systems are. There is a facility capable of storing 20million doses—but that is a drop in the ocean compared to our national needs.

“Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and energy instability are compounding the cold-chain crisis. Solar-powered solutions offer promise, but they are vulnerable to equipment degradation and inconsistent sunlight.

“We must design systems that are not just energy-efficient, but climate-resilient,” Isong said.

He also reiterated the importance of increasing finance and investment in the Nigerian cold chain sector.

“This means investing in modular cold centres, mobile refrigerated units, and smart technologies—Internet of Thing sensors, Artificial Intelligence routing, and blockchain traceability.

“It means building infrastructure that can withstand the shocks of tomorrow while serving the needs of today.

“The potential is enormous. Cold-chain access boosts small business profits by an average of 23.47 per cent.

“Reducing post-harvest losses could recover ₦3.5trillion annually and improved vaccine logistics will save lives, reduce disease burden, and strengthen our health systems,” he said.

Also at the roundtable, Ms Victoria Epelle, Trade Advisor at the Danish Consulate, said partnerships with stakeholders in the cold chain sector is necessary to push for its development.

“The reason we partnered with APM terminal, OTACCWA and other stakeholders, in organising this programme was simply because we decided that they would be the best stakeholders to bring the people within the cold-chain value chain together.

“This will help move the sector forward, and this can be done through dialogue and awareness.

“So, internally within the Danish consulate, we have a cold chain focus, and part of it is awareness and networking. So, having this event was part of the main activities of the project.

“We are making sure that our stakeholders can have those conversations, to facilitate projects, connections and opportunities as well,” Epelle said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma