Near Mrs Ajenifuja’s kiosk is a huge dumpsite, upon which rotten bananas and pineapples and other fruit leftovers are dumped. The trader argued that the huge amount of waste being dumped on the site was caused by a poor preservation system in the market, occasioned by irregular electricity supply.
Like Ikosi, there are numerous other markets in Lagos, from which waste is generated and thereafter collected by the state waste management authority. The markets include Oyingbo, Tejuoso, Balogun, Aspamda, Alaba, Ikeja, among others.Over the years, as population skyrocketed, experts have called for more innovative and value-added means of managing Lagos’ waste.
“We generate biogas from the waste, which we then use to power street lights and flood lights for the market, because they get their delivery at night […]. This is a small initiative, there’s so much more we can do. We use fruit waste because, in that particular market, they deal on fruits like pineapple, pawpaw, watermelon etc. We tend to use one or two of them, not necessarily everything, because the more fruits you mix, the more complicated the process becomes.
However, an official who worked with Midori and the government on the Ikosi project explained that trouble began months after they inaugurated the Ikosi market biogas generator. Access to electricity keeps people connected, protects vulnerable populations, powers vital food processing and preservation facilities, and ultimately ensures healthy living. With cleaner energy, reduction in indoor air pollution means less vulnerability to COVID-19 and the other risks associated with generating sets used by traders in the market.
As the bio-gas plant rots away, traders and customers alike continue to lament the darkness and noise pollution that have enveloped the market vicinity. In the same vein, the nation’s transmission wheeling capacity is estimated to be about 5000MW. Still, due to technical constraints, distribution capacity to homes and businesses is less than 4000MWh.As part of measures to address the shortfall in supply, there has been a call for governments and private investors to tap into the potentials of renewable energy sources. Experts say renewable energy offers solutions to Nigeria’s chronic energy shortages and big opportunities for investment.
He explained that, since proper waste management is a challenge that government authorities are still trying to solve, renewable energy sources should be used to “kill two birds with one stone”.He said: “Renewable energy offers Nigeria the twin opportunities of cleaning our environment and providing electricity. These are areas we can channel our investment into, provide cleaner energy for our people and preserve the environment.
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