ColdHubs

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

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

Contents

History

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

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

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

Awards

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

Related Research Articles

Agricultural biotechnology, also known as agritech, is an area of agricultural science involving the use of scientific tools and techniques, including genetic engineering, molecular markers, molecular diagnostics, vaccines, and tissue culture, to modify living organisms: plants, animals, and microorganisms. Crop biotechnology is one aspect of agricultural biotechnology which has been greatly developed upon in recent times. Desired trait are exported from a particular species of Crop to an entirely different species. These transgene crops possess desirable characteristics in terms of flavor, color of flowers, growth rate, size of harvested products and resistance to diseases and pests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owerri</span> Capital city of Imo state, Nigeria

Owerri is the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of Igboland. It is also the state's largest city, followed by Orlu, Okigwe and Ohaji/Egbema. Owerri consists of three Local Government Areas including Owerri Municipal, Owerri North and Owerri West, it has an estimated population of 1,401,873 as of 2016 and is approximately 100 square kilometres (40 sq mi) in area. Owerri is bordered by the Otamiri River to the east and the Nworie River to the south. The Owerri Slogan is Heartland. It is also called the Las Vegas of Africa, due to the night life of the city and the numerous hotels, casino and leisure parks all over the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aba, Nigeria</span> City in Abia, Nigeria

Aba is a city in southeastern Nigeria and the commercial centre of Abia State. Upon the creation of Abia State in 1991, the old Aba township was divided into two local government areas, being Aba South and Aba North, while the suburban neighborhood of what was then known as Obioma Ngwa L.G.A. was divided into three L.G.A.s for administrative convenience. Aba South is the main city centre of Aba and Abia State at large, being located on the Aba River. Aba is made up of many villages such as Aba-Ukwu, Eziukwu-Aba, Obuda-Aba, Umuokpoji-Aba and other villages that have been merged for administrative convenience. Aba was established by the Ngwa clan of the Igbo people in Nigeria as a market town. Later, a military post was placed there by the British colonial administration in 1901. It lies along the west bank of the Aba River and is at the intersection of roads leading to Port Harcourt, Owerri, Umuahia, Ikot Ekpene, and Ikot-Abasi. The city became a collection point for agricultural products following construction of a British-made railway running through it to Port Harcourt. Aba is a major urban settlement and commercial centre in its region, which is surrounded by small villages and towns. The indigenous people of Aba are the Ngwa. Aba is well known for its craftsmen and is the most populous city in southeastern Nigeria. As of 2016, Aba had an estimated population of 2,534,265, making it the biggest city in South Eastern Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental technology</span> Technical and technological processes for protection of the environment

Environmental technology (envirotech) is the use of engineering and technological approaches to understand and address issues that affect the environment with the aim of fostering environmental improvement. It involves the application of science and technology in the process of addressing environmental challenges through environmental conservation and the mitigation of human impact to the environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste heat</span> Heat that is produced by a machine that uses energy, as a byproduct of doing work

Waste heat is heat that is produced by a machine, or other process that uses energy, as a byproduct of doing work. All such processes give off some waste heat as a fundamental result of the laws of thermodynamics. Waste heat has lower utility than the original energy source. Sources of waste heat include all manner of human activities, natural systems, and all organisms, for example, incandescent light bulbs get hot, a refrigerator warms the room air, a building gets hot during peak hours, an internal combustion engine generates high-temperature exhaust gases, and electronic components get warm when in operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agriculture in Nigeria</span> Overview of agriculture in Nigeria

Agriculture is a sector of the Nigerian economy, accounting for up to 35% of total employment in 2020. According to the FAO, agriculture remains the foundation of the Nigerian economy, providing livelihoods for most Nigerians and generating millions of jobs. Along with crude oil, Nigeria relies on the agricultural products it exports to generate most of its national revenue. The agricultural sector in Nigeria comprises four sub-sectors: crop production, livestock, forestry, and fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imo State</span> State of Nigeria

Imo State is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its name from the Imo River which flows along the state's eastern border. The state capital is Owerri and the State's slogan is the "Eastern Heartland."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal University of Technology Owerri</span> Public university in Owerri, Nigeria

The Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) is a federal government university in Owerri West, Owerri, the capital of Imo State, Nigeria. The university is bounded by the communities of Eziobodo, Ihiagwa, Obinze, Okolochi and Emeabiam. It is the premier federal university of technology in the South-East and South-South parts of Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imo State University</span> University in Owerri, Nigeria

The Imo State University (IMSU) in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria was established in 1981 through law No. 4 passed by the Imo State House of Assembly. The university admitted the first intake of 392 pioneer students on 23 October 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology</span> School in Accra, Ghana

The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) is an Africa-wide technology entrepreneur training program, seed fund, and incubator headquartered in Accra, Ghana. The three-phased institution was founded in 2008 to provide training, investment, and mentoring for aspiring technology entrepreneurs with the goal of creating globally successful companies that create wealth and jobs locally in Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C.J. Obasi</span> Nigerian film director, screenwriter and editor

C.J. Obasi is a Nigerian film director, screenwriter and editor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akinwumi Adesina</span> Nigerian economist

Akinwumi "Akin" AdesinaCON is a Nigerian economist, who is currently serving as the President of the African Development Bank. He previously served as Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. Until his appointment as Minister in 2010, he was Vice President of Policy and Partnerships for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). He was elected as the President of the African Development Bank in 2015 and re-elected for a second term in 2020. He is the first Nigerian to hold the post.

Umar Buba Bindir is a Nigerian agricultural engineer and currently, Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Adamawa State of Nigeria

Ifeanyi Orajaka is a Nigerian engineer and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Green Village Electricity (GVE) Projects Limited, a renewable energy business in Sub-Saharan Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change in Nigeria</span> Emissions, impacts and response of Nigeria related to climate change

Climate change in Nigeria is evident from temperature increase, rainfall variability. It is also reflected in drought, desertification, rising sea levels, erosion, floods, thunderstorms, bush fires, landslides, land degradation, more frequent, extreme weather conditions and loss of biodiversity. All of which continues to negatively affect human and animal life and also the ecosystems in Nigeria. Although, depending on the location, regions experience climate change with significant higher temperatures during the dry seasons while rainfalls during rainy seasons help keep the temperature at milder levels. The effects of climate change prompted the World Meteorological Organization, in its 40th Executive Council 1988, to establish a new international scientific assessment panel to be called the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The 2007 IPCC's fourth and final Assessment Report (AR4) revealed that there is a considerable threat of climate change that requires urgent global attention. The report further attributed the present global warming to largely anthropogenic practices. The Earth is almost at a point of no return as it faces environmental threats which include atmospheric and marine pollution, global warming, ozone depletion, the dangers of pollution by nuclear and other hazardous substances, and the extinction of various wildlife species.

Nnaemeka Chidiebere Ikegwuonu is a Nigerian entrepreneur and radio broadcaster. He founded the Smallholders Foundation, which informs on sustainable farming through a radio station, and is CEO of ColdHubs, which rents solar-powered cold storage to food producers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crib A'Glow</span>

Crib A'Glow is a portable solar-powered phototherapy unit that uses blue LED lights to treat infants with jaundice. The device was invented by Virtue Oboro, a visual designer and mother whose newborn son had developed jaundice. Crib A'Glow has won multiple prizes for innovation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vidyut Mohan</span>

Vidyut Mohan is an Indian social entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of Takachar, a company that recycles agricultural waste into marketable carbon products, offering an alternative to the heavily polluting practice of burning agricultural byproducts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtue Oboro</span> Nigerian visual artist

Virtue Oboro is a Nigerian entrepreneur, and co-founder of Tiny Hearts Technology. In 2016, she developed and launched Crib ‘A Glow, an LED-lit portable crib that treats jaundice utilizing solar energy, and patented the innovation in 2017.

Ecotutu limited is a Nigeria-based company that provides solar-powered cold storage for large and small scale farmers.

References

  1. 1 2 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 3 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.