Government pushes food security with cold chain, livestock health measures
Government pushes food security with cold chain, livestock health measures
The Federal Government has announced plans to integrate renewable energy solutions with veterinary reforms as part of efforts to enhance food security, livestock development, and rural healthcare systems.
The initiative will kick off with the deployment of off-grid refrigeration systems to support vaccine transportation and close critical gaps linking livestock, health, and agriculture. Officials explained that the project will also reduce post-harvest losses, improve agricultural preservation, and boost healthcare delivery nationwide.
This was revealed by the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu, and the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, during the Off-Grid Refrigeration Inception Workshop held on Thursday in Abuja.
The two government officials unveiled joint initiatives aimed at preserving agricultural produce, strengthening vaccine storage, and tackling livestock diseases.
Nigeria’s food security has long been undermined by weak agricultural value chains, high post-harvest losses, and recurring livestock diseases that continue to erode farmers’ incomes. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the country loses an estimated 40 to 50 percent of its perishable crops each year due to inadequate storage and transport infrastructure.
Similarly, outbreaks of livestock diseases such as Peste des Petits Ruminants, Newcastle disease, and African swine fever have continued to undermine animal health and productivity.
Speaking in his address, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, expressed optimism that the newly launched green refrigeration initiative would transform vaccine preservation and livestock healthcare across the country.
The minister noted that solution providers might not yet fully grasp the far-reaching impact the innovation would have on agriculture and animal health.
He explained that veterinary practice in Nigeria currently suffers from a severe lack of cold storage infrastructure, making it difficult to preserve vaccines at the minimum required temperature, noting that vaccines often lose potency before reaching farmers.
According to him, most vaccines lose their potency because of the absence of reliable energy and modern storage systems.
He said, “I am very excited about what is happening today, because you, the solution providers, have not really imagined the impact this green refrigeration is going to create. Let me give you an example.
“Today, in veterinary practice all over the country, we have a huge lacuna in providing cold storage infrastructure. All our vaccines have to be transported, managed, and stored at a minimum temperature. If you don’t achieve that, and in most cases, we are not able to achieve that because of the absence of energy in other solutions like what we are launching here today.
“And when I got that invitation, I said, ‘Look, in this country, we have the solutions, and we have the providers of the solutions. But there is a serious disconnect. There is a serious disconnect.’
“The synergies we are building today will, in the next two to three years, close all these infrastructural gaps.”
Maiha stressed that Nigeria already has both the technology and the providers of solutions but suffers from a serious disconnect that hampers effective deployment.
He assured stakeholders that the synergies being created through the new initiative would, within the next two to three years, close the existing infrastructural gaps in vaccine storage and livestock management.
He further announced that the Federal Government is targeting the eradication of Peste des Petits Ruminants, a viral disease affecting sheep and goats, by 2030.
“We have a very ambitious plan to eradicate PPR for sheep and goats by 2030,” Maiha said.
Nigeria, he said, currently has 58 million cattle, 124 million sheep, and 70 million goats, but weak cold chain logistics remain a bottleneck in animal health management.
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, stressed the need for sustainable vaccine distribution systems, noting that large centralised storage is insufficient to meet local demands. “Housing 40 million doses of vaccines is not enough. We need smaller quantities that can reach the last mile and still retain potency. Sustainability is key. How many calves are surviving to maturity to provide milk or meat? These are the questions we must address if we want to secure food and livestock development,” he said.
On his part, the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) explained that deploying off-grid refrigeration technology would provide direct benefits for agriculture, healthcare, and small businesses by curbing post-harvest losses, improving vaccine distribution, and creating jobs in rural communities.
“This concept connects the dots—agriculture, livestock development, health, and even small and medium enterprises. It will ease the transportation and storage of goods, vaccines, and medical supplies, while also enhancing food security. Beyond reducing post-harvest losses and preserving produce, it will strengthen healthcare delivery by ensuring proper storage of drugs and vaccines, and also support livestock development,” he said.
He added that the initiative, developed in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme, aligns with Nigeria’s electrification agenda and global climate commitments, as the refrigeration systems will run on energy-efficient, climate-friendly technologies. “These solutions not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also deepen the integration of renewable energy systems. This is more than a pilot—it is a step toward scaling solutions that will impact households, farmers, health workers, and businesses across Nigeria,” he noted.
The event concluded with a renewed government commitment to embed solar energy into agricultural and veterinary systems as part of broader food security and sustainability efforts.
