Cold chain infrastructure key to solving Nigeria’s food security challenge

Entrepreneur and CEO of Terroso, Opeoluwa Runsewe, has called on Nigeria to expand its cold chain infrastructure to curb persistent food losses and strengthen national food security.

A cold chain is a temperature-controlled supply system that ensures perishable goods, such as vaccines, medicines, and food, are kept within a safe, specified temperature range from production through storage and transportation to final delivery. This process prevents spoilage, preserves product quality, and guarantees safety.

Mr Runsewe, whose company provides tailored expertise to different sectors of the Nigerian economy, disclosed this in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday

He said the country’s limited cold storage facilities and inadequate temperature-controlled logistics remained major drivers of high post-harvest losses.

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He noted that strengthening cold chain systems across Nigeria’s agricultural value chain would help preserve perishable produce, stabilise food supply, and improve access to nutritious food for millions of Nigerians.

Cold chain infrastructure

Mr Runsewe noted, “Cold chain infrastructure offers one of the most practical solutions to this problem. Cold chains refer to temperature-controlled systems that preserve perishable food from the point of harvest through storage, transportation and distribution. These systems include refrigerated warehouses, cold trucks and digital monitoring technologies that maintain stable temperature conditions throughout the supply chain.

“The opportunity for investment in this sector is growing rapidly. Market estimates indicate that Nigeria’s cold chain market is already valued at roughly ₦160 billion. Yet, fewer than 1,000 refrigerated trucks currently operate in the country, despite an estimated requirement of about 25,000 to support the movement of over 11 million metric tonnes of perishable food annually. This infrastructure gap highlights the scale of investment required to support Nigeria’s agricultural economy.”

Efficiency

He stated that market analyses estimate the broader cold chain and refrigerated storage sector in Nigeria at around $1.2 billion.

He added that forecasts indicate steady growth as demand rises for fresh food, pharmaceutical distribution, and modern retail across the country’s urban areas.

Mr Runsewe added that the nation’s growing population makes the development of efficient food logistics increasingly urgent.

“Projections from the United Nations indicate that the country’s population could exceed 400 million by 2050. Feeding a population of this scale will require not only increased agricultural production but also a far more efficient system for storing and transporting food across the country.

“Cold chain infrastructure also has implications for trade and foreign exchange earnings. Nigeria remains one of Africa’s largest agricultural producers yet captures only a small share of global fresh produce exports”, he added.

Temperature absence

Mr Runsewe also highlighted that a key barrier to Nigeria’s food security was the lack of dependable temperature-controlled logistics necessary to meet global export standards.

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He explained that improving cold storage facilities and refrigerated transport networks would enable exporters to maintain product quality from farm to port, opening doors to more lucrative international markets.

Furthermore, he noted that increasing cold storage capacity would extend the shelf life of produce, helping stabilise supply and minimise sharp price fluctuations.

“From an investment standpoint, agricultural infrastructure sits at the intersection of food security, logistics, trade and economic diversification.

“Market intelligence from AFEX Commodities Exchange shows that seasonal supply disruptions continue to drive price volatility across agricultural commodities.”