By Mercy Omoike
The Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA) has harped on the need for improved cold-chain infrastructure to boost Nigeria’s food systems.
The OTACCWA President, Mr Alexander Isong, said this at the eighth West Africa Cold Chain Summit and Exhibition (WACCSE) at the Landmark Event Centre on Tuesday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 11th edition of Fairtrade Messe Agrofood Fair and the eighth WACCSE were co-located to bring together agriculture stakeholders, innovations and policy dialogue to boost value chains in Nigeria’s Agro-sector.
Isong noted that the major problem of the nation’s agriculture sector was lack of cold-chain infrastructure and not a production problem.
“We gather here today at this very critical moment, not just for Nigeria, not just for West Africa, but for the future of how we produce, preserve and transport and value food, let me put you in the powerful truth.
“Nigerian food security is not primarily a production problem. It’s overwhelming a preservation, logistics and market access failure. This is the relative we must confront.
“Cold chain infrastructure is the missing backbone of Nigeria’s food system. If we invest only in production, we increase waste, but if we invest in a cold chain, we get good storage.
“With cold chain we improve logistics, migration system, market aggregation, we unlock existing production, lower food prices increase farmer incomes and promote viable export systems.
“This is why the work of OTACCWA is so critical through initiatives such as the National Cold Chain infrastructure development, integrated logistics corridor, market linkages and polling systems.
“We are not just building infrastructure. We are building new food systems for the country, this summit is just not a conference. It’s a platform for action,” Isong said.
He stressed the need for partnerships and enhanced technology to boost food security.
Isong said: “For us, over the next few days, we will promote policy dialogue, showcase technology, structural investments, build partnerships, because the transformation we seek will not happen through discussions alone.
“It will happen through collaboration, investments and execution.
“Nigeria produces significant volumes of food every year, yet we continue to experience high food inflation, seasonal scarcity and massive food service losses.
“This is a paradox, and that paradox tells us something very important. We are not failing at the farm. We are failing between the farm and the market.
“Every year in Nigeria, between 30 and 50 per cent of perishable food is lost. For fruits, vegetable losses can be up to 60 per cent.
“Dairy, fish, even food that we eat in the cities perish and the reason being that there’s insufficient cold chain infrastructure that are inadequate, park houses and pre-cooling systems.
“Rural aggregation is weak and not existent. In simple terms, we grow food, but we don’t know how to preserve it, which for a country like Nigeria, is this even for even more concerning.
“Less than five per cent of food in Nigeria is transported under temperature controlled conditions. This means no cold chain, continuity and minimal refund logistics.”
According to him, the underlying infrastructure needed to support efficient trade is still insufficient.
“To be clear, production challenges do exist, security issues, rising input costs, low mechanisation, climate variability, all affect output, but these are secondary constraints.
“The primary issue remains, we do not have a food shortage, we have a food system failure.
“This is not an agricultural issue, it’s an economic issue, it is an infrastructure issue and a national developmental issue,” he said.
On her part, the Secretary to the OTACCWA board, Mrs Alliinson Chinedu, noted that there were inherent opportunities in the Nigerian cold-chain sector that had not been harnessed.
“Across Africa, we continue to face significant challenges: post-harvest losses, limited storage infrastructure, fragmented logistics systems, and rising demand driven by population growth and urbanisation.
“Yet, within these challenges lies immense opportunity. Opportunity to build resilient systems, to leverage technology, to attract investment, and to create sustainable value chains that serve both our economies and our people.
“WACCSE has, over the years, evolved into a critical platform for dialogue, partnership, and action.
“This eighth edition continues that legacy by bringing together policymakers, private sector leaders, development partners, financiers, and innovators—all united by a common goal: strengthening cold chain systems as a foundation for food security, economic resilience, and regional integration,” Chinedu said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
