World Refrigeration Day was marked on June 26 under the theme “Cool Intelligence.” Madi Sakandé, President of U-3ARC, called on African governments to turn refrigeration commitments into concrete action and support technologies adapted to the continent’s needs.
Sakandé said Africa should not become a dumping ground for imported equipment designed for other climates, using fluids that local professionals do not understand, and becoming waste when it breaks down. He described refrigeration intelligence as a matter of responsibility, adaptation and sovereignty.
He said adaptation requires choosing technologies suited to African realities, training young people to master them and establishing strategic partnerships. U-3ARC plans to support this approach through negotiation, training, certification and the pooling of resources.
Sakandé said conventions such as the Kampala Convention provide a path toward sustainable, safe and responsible refrigeration, but implementation is limited by insufficient resources, political will and vision. He also called for investment in an African refrigeration policy.
“The intelligence of refrigeration is not just technical. It is political. It is strategic,” said Madi Sakandé, President of U-3ARC.