By Eamonn Ryan derived from the webinar.
The Global Cold Chain Foundation (GCCF) recently completed an important study on the cold chain sector in West Africa, specifically in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. The webinar that accompanied the study highlighted the findings and recommendations from the assessment. This is part six of a 14-part series covering a webinar on this topic.
The webinar featured a panel of experts, including Greg Laurin from Conestoga Cold Storage, Nicholas Pedneault from Congebec, Roudy Akiki from CT-Technologies, and GCCF Africa’s own Paul Matthew, Amanda Brondy and Madison Jaco.
As one looks ahead to the coming years, it’s clear that the cold chain infrastructure in West Africa is at a critical juncture. With continued investments in infrastructure, transportation, and logistics, the region has the potential to become a major hub for trade and cold chain logistics. However, the challenges of transportation, especially temperature control, will need to be addressed to ensure sustainable growth of cold chain operations.
The development of cold chain logistics in West Africa presents both significant challenges and exciting opportunities, particularly in countries like Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana. These nations, while diverse in infrastructure and industrial development, share common obstacles related to transportation and the increasing demand for cold storage solutions, especially in sectors such as seafood, agriculture and retail.
Challenges in transportation infrastructure
A major issue facing cold chain operators across West Africa is the lack of reliable transportation infrastructure, particularly for refrigerated goods. In countries like Senegal, traffic congestion in major port areas—like the Port of Dakar—results in delays that are detrimental to temperature-sensitive products. Long travel times, often exacerbated by poorly maintained roads outside city centres, leave products stuck in trucks for extended periods, increasing the risk of temperature abuse.
In addition to the unreliable road networks, there is a severe shortage of service assistance for broken-down trucks in rural areas. If a refrigeration unit fails while transporting perishable goods across the country, drivers often have no access to repair services, further compounding the risks of spoilage.
Retailers, who often transport goods to far-flung regions of the countries, face an additional challenge: a lack of structured backhaul programmes. While infrastructure and trucks are scarce, these retailers also lack the organisational frameworks needed to transport agricultural products back to city centres. Despite these difficulties, the opportunity for creating more efficient transportation networks remains.