Enugu: Solar-powered cold storage unveiled to combat post-harvest losses

Post-harvest losses in Nigeria’s agricultural sector are receiving attention with the launch of a solar-powered cold storage facility in Enugu, spearheaded by local entrepreneurs, with the U.S. Consulate on Tuesday commending the initiative.

Nigeria faces substantial annual losses—estimated at nearly $9 billion due to post-harvest waste, exacerbated by inadequate cold storage infrastructure.

Solar-powered facilities like the one inaugurated offer a sustainable solution to preserve agricultural produce, benefiting stakeholders across the value chain.

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In a virtual address on Friday, April 26, 2024, Consul General Will Stevens of the U.S. Consulate in Lagos commended the inauguration of Manamuz Electric’s Aguobu Iwollo Refrigerated Aggregation Centre in Enugu State. The project, spearheaded by Mandela Washington Fellow Uzo Mbamalu, marks a significant step towards combating post-harvest losses in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

Stevens highlighted the pivotal role of Uzo Mbamalu, one of 12,000 Nigerians who have participated in U.S. government exchange programs. Leveraging his experience from a 6-week exchange at the University of Nevada-Reno, Uzo forged connections that facilitated the realization of this initiative. Technical and business advisory support from the university’s College of Business, coupled with a grant from the U.S. Africa Development Foundation, further propelled the project forward.

The consul general expressed gratitude to the project’s diverse stakeholders, including the Enugu State Marketing Company, Enugu State Polytechnic Iwollo, and smallholder farmers, whose contributions have been integral to its success.

Hope Moses-Ashike

Hope Moses-Ashike is an Associate Editor, Banking and Finance, with more than a decade of experience reporting on Nigeria’s financial system and broader economy. She closely tracks market movements, monetary policy decisions, company disclosures, regulatory actions, economic indicators, and global developments, and interprets what they mean for businesses, investors, policymakers, and households. Her reporting helps readers understand complex issues such as inflation trends, foreign exchange market dynamics, interest rate decisions, bank performance, and investment risks. She also covers major international events and periodically travels to Washington, D.C., to report on the World Bank/IMF Spring and Annual Meetings. Her dedication to financial journalism has earned her multiple recognitions and invitations to high-level professional development programmes. She is an alumna of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) in the United States and holds an Advanced Financial Journalism Certificate from the Press Association Training in London, UK. Her other notable achievements include completing the Lagos Business School CMC Programme, the Bloomberg Media Africa Initiative Programme, and a Master Class in Journalism at Rhodes University in South Africa.