Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire, which has some 4,000 London-based students, have helped secure $2.1 million in research funding to further develop an AI and solar-powered solution to tackling hunger and reducing food waste in Nigeria.

The funding comes from the United Nations and is for the HARVIST project, backed by a consortium of 10 organisations across the UK and Nigeria with digital and AI technologies being led by the University.

Agriculture is Nigeria’s largest sector but 72% of the country’s 60 million smallholders live below the poverty line because of unreliable power supplies and being unable to prevent their produce going to waste.

The University has used its technological and AI expertise to augment a cooling product presently called So-Cool (solar cooling) and built by its African partner, Kamim Technologies

So-Cool is a cooling and storage facility located close to groups of urban smallholders, that aggregates and stores perishable produce. It links the produce to a platform which uses machine learning to provide a commodity price guide, enabling Nigeria’s urban farmers to market to bulk-buyers.

The University has provided research leadership and technical skills across system design and digital architecture to create So-Cool and to evaluate its impact.

Professor Hafiz Alaka, who grew up in Nigeria and is the University of Hertfordshire’s Associate Dean, Research and Enterprise. and its Director of Big Data Tech & Innovation Lab, led the project. He said:

“Unreliable power supply is a major problem for Nigerian businesses and causes severe consequences for agriculture.

“Our solution, which draws on farmers’ feedback, is not only reliable, but also cleaner and cheaper than fossil fuels, helping to meet Nigeria’s net-zero transition plan.

“It cannot be right that smallholders create 90% of all agricultural produce but can only sell 26% of it because it perishes before it can be purchased. As a result, Nigeria imports produce and 72% of Nigerian smallholders continue to live below the US$1.90 per day poverty line.

“As a Nigerian myself, I am delighted that our consortium approach has won this significant research funding to help level the playing field for urban smallholders and to tackle both poverty and food insecurity in the country.”

The University is working with LMD Agro-Consultants, Kamim Technologies and a range of other parties to co-ordinate the smallholders, bulk-buyers, and the construction and assembly of the So-Cool units two of which are currently located in Lagos State.

Adekoyejo Kuye, Managing Director of Kamim Technologies, said:

“Every harvest season we meet farmers who did everything right but still lose income because the infrastructure isn’t there: power is unreliable, there’s nowhere to store produce, irrigation is limited, and markets are far away.

“Farmers don’t need another pilot that looks good on paper, they need power that stays on, cold rooms that preserve quality, irrigation that enables year-round productivity, and market access that’s transparent.

“This funding lets us deliver that end-to-end system across Nigeria, back it with digital tools that work for real farmers, measure the results properly, and scale what works so we cut waste, improve prices, and keep more income in farming communities.”

More than 10,000 smallholder farmers, women and youths are expected to have benefited from the project. In addition, the UN funding will support the creation of two further 20-tonne hubs.

So-Cool’s solar-powered cooling systems are suitable for off-grid and weak-grid environments, reaching those who are most remote from energy infrastructure.

The platform uses data-driven forecasting models, including machine-learning tools for power consumption, storage optimisation, and commodity price guidance.

The UN funding will allow the project to continue until late into 2028 with a view to wider rollout thereafter.

Professor Wendy Wills Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) said:

“The University of Hertfordshire is committed to applied research, that responds to real-world challenges.

“By combining renewable energy, digital technology, and a cooperative approach to managing food resources, So-Cool directly addresses the root causes of post-harvest losses, farmer poverty, and food import dependence. The initiative supports Nigeria’s food security objectives while contributing to climate mitigation by reducing reliance on diesel-powered refrigeration and lowering food waste.

“I am extremely proud that we are using our expertise to pioneer sustainable solutions that will bring greater prosperity to some of the most disadvantaged people on our planet.”