In his words, “Purchasing these tomatoes was a nightmare because they easily got spoilt because the sellers didn’t have a proper preservation and storage system.”

Interestingly, Nigeria is the 14th largest tomato producer in the world, and the 2nd in Africa; producing more than 2.3 million tonnes every year.

Unfortunately, the country spends more than $9.8 billion on importing tomatoes because it doesn’t meet the demand for fresh produce.

 In previous years, Nigeria has experienced more than 56 percent of waste due to a lack of proper storage and preservation facilities.

To solve this problem, Daniel Oseni founded PeriPES, a natural cooling system that preserves and stores tomatoes for up to 3 to 4 months without getting spoilt. PeriPES is made out of clay bricks, sand water, and air. It works by reducing the room temperature of the tomatoes to less than 15°C at 90 percent humidity, in order to stop the production of ethylene, which is the major chemical component that causes ripening and spoilage in all agricultural products.

In his words, “Our technological input is harnessing the power of nature to preserve. This science is known as evaporative cooling. It is a circular movement of moist air from a cooler region to a hotter region, by passing through a damp sand medium. It is a very viable and stable means of preservation because it creates a conducive humidity for the tomatoes, which helps to retain the nutritional value.”

Daniel believes that tomato farmers, wholesalers, and retailers in Nigeria will benefit from his solution. His primary target is those in the “Shasha” market located in the Ondo state of Western Nigeria. This market is one of the biggest markets for tomatoes in the Southwestern region of the country.

Daniel believes that if he is successful, the world will be better off because “PeriPES will reduce the carbon footprint being released into the atmosphere every day. It will reduce post-harvest loss by over 50 percent, and reduce the scarcity of tomatoes, which usually leads to the inflation of the tomato prices.”

He believes that PeriPES will ensure the availability of tomatoes all year round, and will subsequently increase the GDP of the Nigerian economy.

Recently, Daniel Oseni emerged as the grand prize winner of the 2023 Savvy Prize for Impact-Driven Entrepreneurs.

When asked how the Savvy Prize will help his project become successful, he said,

“With our passion and resilience, we will replicate our solution to 8 other Nigerian states that are major producers of tomatoes. We will ensure that PeriPES will reach other crop farmers that are vegetable and fruit farming, such as pepper, onion, okra, carrot, cucumber, and cabbage. In the long run, we will save the agricultural sector of the Nigerian economy by reducing the waste coming out by over 50 percent.”

Daniel and his team will also focus on increasing their visibility by 45 to 80 percent, for more productivity and profitability. After receiving the Savvy Prize, he is looking for more investment opportunities in order to expand.

Daniel’s vision is a Nigeria where “the prize of tomatoes is normalized, and when PeriPES reaches the hands of over 75 percent of tomato farmers in the country.” He envisioned a country where tomatoes are available all year round without abnormal increase in prices, and when the tomato market becomes well saturated.”

Daniel’s team is made up of Robinson Osas, Ogunlade Busayo, and Omoniyi Joshua. Osas is an agriculturist with a specialization in crop, soil, and pest management. Busayo is a bio-medical scientist with experience in crop health services and waste management, while Joshua is an Architect with experience in social media management.

Daniel believes his team is the right fit to solve this problem because they’re innovative and creative individuals with experience and knowledge in preservation, storage, and food handling.

Watch Daniel Oseni explain how the cooling system works:

Aside from the recognition, the 2023 Savvy Prize comes with a lot of benefits including up to $3,000 in cash prizes, product development support, and marketing endeavors.

How it Works

To be eligible to apply for the 2023 Savvy Prize, you have to be a Savvy Fellow first. This means, if you’re not yet a Savvy Fellow, you have to apply for the Savvy Fellowship Program, and after being accepted into the ongoing Fellowship program, you can apply for the Savvy Prize immediately.

Those who are already Savvy Fellows can immediately apply for the Savvy Prize. The application process for the 2023 Savvy Prize is very simple and straightforward. The application consists of six thought-provoking questions:

1. What is the problem you’re addressing and why is it important? Why is now the best time to address it?

2. What is your proposed solution? What makes it innovative and scalable?

3. Who will benefit from this solution (specific target population) and where are they located?

4. If you are successful, the world will be better off because…

5. Upon receiving the Savvy Prize, what are the key milestones you believe you will attain within the next 12 months? How will you know if you’re successful?

6. What makes you or your team the ideal leader(s) for this project?

Prizes and Benefits

The top 10 finalists will receive a certificate of achievement. However, the top 3 winners will receive the following:

First Prize: $1,450 worth

1. $450 – In Cash

2. $450 – Article feature on 4 media websites

3. $550 – 1 year $540 web and app hosting + $10 domain name registration

Second Prize: $1,000 worth

1. $450 – Article feature on 4 media websites

2. $550 – 1 year $540 web and app hosting + $10 domain name registration

Third Prize: $550 worth

1. $550 – 1 year $540 web and app hosting + $10 domain name registration

About the Savvy Fellowship Program

Available in 111 languages, the Savvy Fellowship program is a 12-week e-learning experience. As a Savvy Fellow, you will get to learn everything from ideation to venture scaling, including how to start, build, and scale an impact venture.

Using visual presentations, we’ll help you answer all the relevant questions you need to kickstart that amazing impact venture, gain early traction, achieve product-market fit, and scale into newer markets.

Some of the things you’ll learn during the program are ‘understanding your customer’, ‘building a product or service that effectively solves their key challenges’, and ‘effectively positioning your solution in the market.’

Savvy is for every impact entrepreneur, no matter what stage your venture is.

So far, we have received over 92,000 applications from around the world, and have selected, trained, and supported over 7,600 Fellows from 158 countries.

Eligibility

The 2023 Savvy Prize is open to Savvy Fellows who are currently participating in the Savvy program, or that have completed the program.

Those who aren’t Savvy Fellows yet can apply first to the Savvy Fellowship Program, and after getting accepted into the program, they can apply for the Savvy Prize, right away. Current and past Savvy Fellows can immediately apply for the Savvy Prize.

For those applying to the Savvy program, it’s important to note that the program is open to aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs around the world. This means the program accepts individuals who are seeking to start a business and those who have already started one.

There is no geographical, ethnic, or academic restriction. The Savvy program accepts new Fellows between the ages of 18 – 40, who can demonstrate in their application their passion to learn and create lasting change in their community (and the world.) However, we consider applicants above the age of 40, with at least 5 years of work or entrepreneurial experience.

How to Apply for the Savvy Prize

For non-Savvy Fellows:

1. Apply for the Savvy Fellowship Program page.

2. After being accepted into the program, you can apply for the Savvy Prize immediately here.

For Savvy Fellows

For Savvy Fellows (who are currently partaking in the program or have completed the program), you can apply for the Savvy Prize immediately here.

Application Deadline

The deadline for application is December 31, 2022, at 12 midnight GMT.

Read here for Terms and Conditions and other details.