How PicksNCarts Is Building a Circular Food Economy By Fighting Food Waste

As Nigeria grapples with rising food prices, growing food waste, and increasing pressure on small businesses, a new generation of social enterprises is stepping forward with innovative solutions. One such platform is PicksNCarts, a sustainability-driven digital redistribution platform addressing food waste and affordability through technology-enabled commerce.

In this interview with Oluchi Chibuzor, the Co-Founder/ CTO, PicksNCarts, Paul Adesida, speaks about the vision behind the platform, its people, its impact, and the future of sustainable redistribution in Nigeria.

Why is PicksNCarts focused on social change?

Food waste and affordability are deeply social issues. When edible food and usable groceries are discarded, resources are lost. When food becomes unaffordable, communities suffer.

PicksNCarts converts inefficiency into shared value, helping businesses recover losses, households save money, and the environment benefit from reduced waste and greenhouse gas emission.

What gaps are you bridging through this initiative?

Our research revealed a critical disconnect within Nigeria’s food system, while businesses struggle with surplus, slow-moving or short-dated inventory, many consumers struggle with affordability.

PicksNCarts bridges three key gaps: the gap between surplus, slow-moving, and short-dated inventory and real consumer demand, the gap between rising living costs and shrinking purchasing power and gap between businesses and practical, technology-driven sustainable commerce.

We enable participation in a circular economy without disrupting the existing business operations of merchants.

How is PicksNCarts achieving impact through ESG principles?

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles are embedded into how PicksNCarts operates. From an environmental perspective, we work with food and beverage businesses to redistribute surplus, slow-moving, and short-dated food and grocery inventory, all within approved shelf-life and best-before standards. This prevents avoidable waste, reduces landfill pressure, and cuts emissions linked to food disposal.

Socially, we address rising living costs by improving access to affordable, quality food and essentials for students, workers, and households under financial pressure. At the same time, we help businesses recover value from inventory that would otherwise be written off.

From a governance standpoint, we operate with transparency and accountability, maintaining clear merchant agreements, structured settlement processes, and strict compliance with NAFDAC, SON, NDPR, and payment regulations.

Can we meet your team?

At PicksNCarts, we are intentional about building a team that reflects both our social mission and our technology-driven approach. We are a multidisciplinary team with experience spanning technology, healthcare, operations, and enterprise partnerships across small, medium, and large-scale businesses.

As Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer , I bring a strong background in data analytics and information technology. Over the years, I have been involved in building and supporting social enterprises, which reinforces our confidence that PicksNCarts will deliver long-term impact in reducing food and grocery waste while improving affordability for households across Nigeria.

I lead the development of our digital infrastructure, ensuring the platform is scalable, secure, and capable of managing real-time inventory and transaction data, which is critical to enabling efficient redistribution, minimizing waste, and supporting responsible consumption at scale.

Our Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Shina Adesida, is a social entrepreneur with a background in medical rehabilitation. His experience in healthcare exposed him to broader challenges around access, affordability, and inequality, which directly shaped the sustainability-driven vision behind PicksNCarts — using technology to bridge gaps in access while addressing systemic waste.

Ultimately, one of our strongest advantages is the cumulative experience of the founding team across technology, social impact, and service delivery . This collective expertise has enabled us to leapfrog early operational challenges, optimize resources efficiently, and design a model that delivers measurable social, economic, and environmental outcomes. I am deeply grateful for this synergy, which continues to strengthen our execution and impact.

Our Chief Operating Officer, Avoseh Phebe, also has a background in medical rehabilitation and specializes in operations and project management. She oversees partnerships, day-to-day operations, and regulatory alignment.

Completing the team is Michael Otote, our Lead Software Engineer, who translates our sustainability vision into a functional, user-friendly digital experience. Together, the team blends purpose, professionalism, and execution.

How can businesses leverage the platform?

Registered businesses ( large, medium, and small ) list surplus, slow-moving, or short-dated inventory on PicksNCarts and reach consumers actively seeking affordable options. Merchants control their listings through a secure dashboard, while payments are processed via a trusted payment gateway (Paystack). This ensures transparency, data security, and seamless settlement.

How do you ensure product quality and data security?

All items listed on PicksNCarts must fall within approved shelf-life or best-before dates, in line with NAFDAC and SON standards. Data security is enforced through encrypted payment systems, NDPR compliance, role-based access control, and regular audits. Trust and safety are non-negotiable.

What challenges affect this emerging sector?

Challenges include limited awareness of redistribution models, consumer skepticism, logistics constraints for perishables, and regulatory gaps around surplus circulation within shelf-life limits.

What policies would support platforms like PicksNCarts?

We advocate for clearer regulations on surplus, slow-moving, and short-dated redistribution, incentives for waste-reduction startups, grants or tax relief for impact-driven enterprises and a national awareness campaigns on food waste reduction.

What is the ultimate goal of PicksNCarts?

Our goal is to build a trusted circular marketplace where surplus food and groceries are responsibly redistributed, allowing businesses to recover value, households to save money, and promoting a healthy, conducive environment.