Why Nigeria must begin to invest in cold chain systems before 2030 -by Opeoluwa Runsewe
In 2025, Nigeria will continue producing large quantities of food, from cassava and yams to vegetables, tomatoes, and fish, but the real story is not production. It is the loss that happens before these products reach consumers.
Between 30 and 50 per cent of perishable food is projected to spoil before it reaches consumers. This is not a marginal inefficiency; it is a structural failure. Tens of millions of tonnes of food will be wasted, translating into billions of naira in economic losses.
The defining agricultural issue of 2025 is clear: Nigeria is not failing to produce food, it is failing to preserve and distribute it.
This is why Nigeria’s focus on this issue must shift. For a long time, food security has been framed as a production problem. In reality, it is a supply chain problem. Without refrigerated storage, temperature-controlled transport, and integrated logistics, even the most successful harvest cycles will continue to collapse before reaching the market.
The result is predictable: food inflation rises, market prices become volatile, and farmers lose income despite having strong output.
Population growth is a major factor to consider. According to UNFPA projections, Nigeria is on track to surpass 400 million people by 2050. In 2025, the strain on existing food systems is already evident. Feeding this population will not be achieved by increasing output alone.
It will depend on how efficiently food can be preserved, transported, and delivered across the country. Without large-scale investment in cold chain infrastructure, the gap between what is produced and what is actually available for consumption will continue to widen.
The good news is that the solutions are not theoretical; they are practical and already in motion. The private sector has begun to demonstrate what is possible when cold chain systems are treated as core infrastructure. Through advanced cold storage, refrigerated logistics, and technology-enabled distribution networks, it is possible to significantly reduce post-harvest losses, stabilise prices, and improve farmer earnings.
At Terroso Agriculture, we are focused on modernising the agricultural value chain through precisely these interventions. By deploying cold storage solutions closer to production clusters and integrating them with efficient transport systems, we are closing the gap between farm and market.
In 2025, cold chain infrastructure must be recognised as national priority infrastructure, on the same level as roads and energy. Investment in refrigerated storage facilities and logistics networks should be incentivised through targeted financing and public-private partnerships.
Second, cold storage must move closer to the farm gate. Decentralised systems, including mobile and modular cold rooms, use of IOTs, AI and advanced technology, are critical to reducing losses at the earliest stages of the value chain where spoilage is most severe and increasing export competitiveness of the Nigerian Agricultural industry.
And lastly, logistics integration and technology must work hand in hand. Cold storage without reliable transport will not solve the problem; we need end-to-end temperature-controlled networks that connect rural production hubs to urban consumption centres and export corridors.
At the same time, data-driven supply chain management must underpin these systems to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and ensure that food moves where it is needed most in real time.
The cost of inaction is already visible. Farmers will continue to sell at distressed prices to avoid total loss. Export opportunities will remain limited as Nigerian produce struggles to meet quality standards. Food inflation will persist, not because Nigeria lacks food, but because it lacks the systems to deliver it.
If the country is serious about feeding 400 million people, then cold chain infrastructure is not optional. It is the backbone of a functional food system. The farms are producing, the food is there, but until we invest in preserving it, we will continue to experience scarcity in the midst of abundance.
Opeoluwa Runsewe is a dynamic and results-oriented executive. He is currently the CEO of Terroso Group, a new generational conglomerate operating across more than ten industries, including real estate, agriculture, energy and resources, manufacturing and merchandising, medical and pharmaceutical, as well as hospitality and tourism, among others.
