ColdHubs Ltd. is an Owerri-based company that provides solar-powered cold storage for small scale farmers.

ColdHubs
IndustrySolar-powered cooling
Founded2015
Headquarters
Owerri, Imo State
,
Nigeria
Area served
Nigeria
Key people
Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu - CEO
Websitewww.coldhubs.com

History edit

ColdHubs was founded in 2015 in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.[1][2] In addition to its headquarters, the company has offices in Fort Collins, Colorado.[3]

Services edit

ColdHubs provides cooling services to small-scale farmers and fishermen, who rent 20 kg capacity crates to store their products at the hubs that are available all year round.[4][5][6]

ColdHubs operates at 54 locations, in 22 states throughout Nigeria,[7] with site locations near farms.[8] The three-metre-square units can each hold three tonnes of food. The sun's power cools the units during the day and charges the batteries that operate the refrigeration in the evening.[7][9]

People edit

ColdHubs was founded and is run by former farmer Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu.[1][2] As of 2021, it employs 66 people.[10]

Awards edit

In 2017, ColdHubs was shortlisted for the UK Royal Academy of Engineering's Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.[11][12] It won the 2020 Waislitz Global Citizen Disruptor Award[13] and was the inaugural AYuTe Africa Challenge winner in 2021.[7]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Leonard, Shane (10 September 2021). "Founders of Coldhubs and Hello Tractor win inaugural AYuTe Africa Challenge - Irish Tech News". Archived from the original on 2021-09-10. Retrieved 2021-11-01.
  2. ^ a b Kitinoja, Lisa, Vijay Yadav Tokala, and Majeed Mohammed. "Clean cold chain development and the critical role of extension education." Agriculture for Development 36, no. 3 (2019): 19-25.
  3. ^ "Official Website". Cold Hubs. Archived from the original on 2015-12-03. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
  4. ^ Orhun, Deniz; Dedeoglu Meng, Pinar (2021-10-31). "Agricultural Economics Will Be The Transformative Power Of Gastronomy "Eat Wisely"". Eurasian Journal of Agricultural Economics. 1 (2): 38–53. ISSN 2757-9654.
  5. ^ Monks, Kieron (2015-12-22). "A radio show host may have fixed Nigeria's worst problem". CNN. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2021-11-01.
  6. ^ Hodal, Kate (2017-12-28). "How the sun's rays can keep food chilled: fighting waste in Africa". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 2017-12-28. Retrieved 2021-11-01.
  7. ^ a b c Cairns, Rebecca (23 July 2021). "ColdHubs: How solar-powered cold storage is keeping food fresh in Nigeria". CNN. Archived from the original on 2021-09-27. Retrieved 2021-11-01.
  8. ^ Babatunde, Jimoh (2021-11-18). "'Giving agriculture needed push to drive economic growth'". Vanguard News. Archived from the original on 2021-11-19. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
  9. ^ Subhash Nair, Anagha (29 Aug 2021). "These startups are revolutionizing how we manage waste". CNN. Archived from the original on 2021-08-31. Retrieved 2021-11-01.
  10. ^ Bafana, Busani (30 Dec 2021). "Cool Scheme To Reduce Food Waste In Nigeria". www.africa.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-30. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
  11. ^ "3 Nigerians make UK Royal Academy's Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation Shortlist". Bella Naija. 2017-11-22. Archived from the original on 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2021-11-01.
  12. ^ Five years of the Africa Prize. Royal Academy of Engineering. p. 13.
  13. ^ Okunola, Akindare (Aug 11, 2020). "This Entrepreneur Is Using Solar-Powered Cold Rooms to Cut Down Food Spoilage in Nigeria". Global Citizen. Archived from the original on 2020-09-28. Retrieved 2021-11-01.