The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), yesterday inaugurated a 26kW solar-powered cold room in Sagbokoji fishing community, Lagos State.
Sagbokoji is a riverine island community, surrounded by water and located in the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area opposite Tin-Can Island area of Lagos State.
The GEF-SGP UNDP Programme Management Senior Assistant, Mrs Rose Agbo, said the project was to support the women in the riverine area, who formerly used charcoal and firewood to preserve their fishing produce.
Agbo, who was represented by Mrs Ibironke Olubamise, the National Coordinator, GEF-SGP UNDP, said the organisation learnt about the challenges faced through the New Energy Frontiers (NEF) Group.
“So, we approved a project that is focused on addressing climate issues and then we noticed the population has no access to electricity.
“They are basically fish farmers and women seafood processors; so, in order to address the issue of food security and post-harvest losses we provided climate-smart solar cold room storage for the coastal community.
“This will enable them to store their fishes and also generate income that will impact their livelihood as well.
“Today’s inauguration also features a field visit comprising representatives of 10 different non-governmental organisations (NGOs), who are SGP grantees and 10 young energy innovators from across tertiary institutions in Nigeria, who are past or current energy innovation competition prize winners.
“The study tour will foster knowledge sharing on practical approaches for implementing high-impact community action projects, using case study of the Sagbokoji solar cold hub success story,” she said.
Also, the Chairman, NEF Group, Dr Daniel Adeuyi, said the inauguration was phase two of the solar Sagbokoji cold-room project.
According to him, this follows the first phase that was inaugurated in 2023 to help preserve the fish and sea food harvest by the community.
“Over the last two years, we have gathered real time data of how this intervention has supported this community.
“In the process we have also identified opportunities for upscaling the intervention to do more really for boosting economic growth within this coastal community based on the empirical data and fact.
“The phase two enhancement was able to secure additional support from the funders at GEF-SGP UNDP to expand this infrastructure and attract CSR support from Jubaili Bros Engineering Ltd,” he said.
Adeuyi said the inauguration represented a four folds increase in the combined capacity energy generation infrastructure from 6kW to 26kW of solar power generation capacity.
He said the inverter capacity used for energy conversion more than doubled from 10kKVA to 23kKVA.