By Mercy Omoike
The Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA) is set to boost the sector’s growth at the 8th edition of its West African Cold Chain Summit Exhibition (WACCSE).
The President of OTACCWA, Mr Alexander Isong, represented by Mr Sheriff Oladipo disclosed this at the Agrofood Nigeria news conference on Thursday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 8th edition of the WACCSE is in collaboration with the organisers of the AgroFood Nigeria fair scheduled for 24 to 26 March.
Isong, noted in his speech, said the aim of the association was to ensure the cold chain sector in Nigeria thrives with the collaboration of all stakeholders.
“In partnership with the Agrofood Nigeria 2026 and the 8th edition of the WACCSE, we will focus on three core pillars.
“These pillars are certification, standards, infrastructure, deployment at scale, investment and bilateral cooperation.
“Among others, including project structuring, finance framework and operational partnership.
“At the fair, participants/visitors can expect high level policy, roundtable, technical master classes, equipment exhibition, investor pitch section, bilateral meeting, youth and innovation showcasing cold chain technology demonstration.
“We will also spotlight themes including solar power refrigeration, power, refrigeration, climate, smart cold chain logistics, pharmaceutical cold chain integration, sport career development, digital traceability platform,” Isong said.
He noted that the association’s regional vision includes farm clusters, aggregation hubs, processing facility, seaport and regional market.
“We would like to use this opportunity to call on the federal and state governments to prioritise certified cold chain infrastructure as strategic national assets.
He also called on financial institutions to recognise cold chain as a revenue generating and market infrastructure class.
Isong urged private sector operators to invest in professionalism, standards, compliance and technology integration.
“The eighth WACCSE is more than an event. It is a convening of decision makers around the solution that directly affects food affordability, public health, trade sensitivity and economic stability,” he said.
According to him, the cold chain is a bridge between production and prosperity.
“We look forward to welcoming you in Lagos in March 2026, as we advance shared vision of certified efficient and resilient cold chain ecosystem for West Africa,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
