Ajima Farms embarks on solving Energy Problems with Innovative Waste Management


By Jimoh Babatunde
ABUJA: A pilot project that will tackle the energy challenges facing off-grid rural communities commenced in Rije, Kuje Area Council of Abuja recently as Ajima Farms and General Enterprises Nigeria Limited in Partnership with ECO-WATT Projects launched Waste-2-Watts off-grid energy initiative.
The project, with funding support from The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) under the 2015 Power Africa Off-grid Energy Challenge, will provide off-grid electricity, clean water, and biogas cooking fuel produced from locally sourced agricultural wastes from farm outlets in Kuje area.
Disclosing this in Abuja, one of the Project Managers, Miss Fatima Oyiza Ademoh, said the initiative will leverage the existing agricultural waste generation potential in Kuje Area which happens to be the hub of farming activities in Abuja.
She noted that providing cheap and clean electricity to the community will improve so many aspects of their lives but more importantly it will boost their agricultural productivity because farming is their major source of livelihood.
“The electricity will be used to process and preserve some of their farm produce, improvetheir productivity and spur several business ventures that require electricity to thrive.’’ She noted.
 According to Ademoh “Ajima Farms will provide biogas cooking stoves to help reduce the use of fossil fuels and fuel wood which the villagers currently source by cutting down economic trees like Shea butter trees.
“The project will actively engage the youths in the community during the construction phase of the biogas plant and also train them with the necessary skills to manage and operate the biogas plant.”
She said Ajima farms plans to expand this project to other off grid communities across Abuja and other parts of Nigeria by focusing on energy for productive uses.
“Energy poverty is a serious impediment to socio-economic development in many communities in Nigeria, and Kuje alone has 47 off-grid communities which grow the bulk of food in Kuje market. This project will help address these challenges with innovative biogas-powered mini-grid project, and the use of other clean energy technologies.”
The Chief of Rije community, Mr. Ibrahim Atakunyamwa thanked the company for choosing Rije as the starting point for the initiative while promising to secure and maintain the facilities adding that the project was a step in the right direction for his community.
He said the project is a divine intervention after waiting so long for the government to provide such basic amenities but yielded no result.
``The organization came to us last year and promised to embark on this project but we didn’t believe it will come to reality because many have come with similar promises without yielding any result.”
``We will make sure we secure all the facilities to be used for the project and will sensitize our women on the dangers of deforestation and climate change.’’ The chief said.

Comments

  1. Kabir Onimisi AdemohMarch 21, 2016 at 1:59 AM

    Good work for keeping us informed about agriculture in Naija

    ReplyDelete

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