The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), on Wednesday inaugurated a 26 kW 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 the Tin-Can Island area of Lagos State.

The GEF-SGP UNDP Programme Management Senior Assistant, 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.

Ms Agbo, who was represented by the National Coordinator, GEF-SGP UNDP, Ibironke Olubamise, said that the organisation learnt about the challenges faced through the New Energy Frontiers (NEF) Group.

She said, “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 fish 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 the case study of the Sagbokoji solar cold hub success story.’’

Also, the Chairman of the NEF Group, Daniel Adeuyi, said the inauguration was phase two of the solar Sagbokoji cold-room project.

According to him, it follows the first phase inaugurated in 2023 to preserve the fish and seafood 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.

Mr Adeuyi said the inauguration represented a fourfold increase in the combined capacity energy generation infrastructure from 6 kW to 26 kW of solar power generation capacity.

He said the inverter capacity used for energy conversion more than doubled from 10 kKVA to 23 kKVA.

Mr Adeuyi said the combined battery energy storage capacity increased fivefold from 10 kWh to 50 kWh of battery energy storage.

“So, that means more power can be generated during the daytime, and more cooling products and services can be delivered from this infrastructure. This will enable continuous operation of the larger cold room when the sun is not shining and during cloudy periods. Beyond cooling, this enhanced infrastructure creates the foundations for a pilot independent electricity distribution system model.

“So, electricity can now be distributed from this infrastructure to other productive hubs in the Sagbokoji community, where cleaner energy is needed for powering productive economic activities,” the NEF chairman said.

Speaking on the challenges, the Co-Chair, NEF, Adekunle Makinde, said that the group was partnering with the community to create an enabling environment for training staff and sourcing experienced staff, who could operate and maintain the infrastructure.

“We are also inviting the community to nominate young men or women who can understudy those experienced operators and also ultimately be able to gain the skill and knowledge. This will enable them to progressively handle the operation with some support and minimal intervention from the project developers.

“Honestly, it is a bit of a challenging environment to get staff who would commute daily, and the phase two inauguration today also includes on-site accommodation, thereby creating an enabling environment for the staff,” he said.

Responding, the leader of the Fish Sellers Association, Sagbokoji, Jiselle Azankpo, expressed joy over the completion of the expansion plans of the solar cold room by the NGO.

According to her, it will allow more fishing women in the community to benefit from the project.

She assured the NGO that the infrastructure would be carefully maintained.

Welcoming the NGOs to his palace, the Baale of the Sagbokoji community, Ovime Anthony, said the expansion plan would develop the town and bring more prosperity to them. 

 (NAN)