Solidaridad Harps On Need To Support Use Of Renewable Energy In Nigeria’s Oil Palm Sector

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Monday, August 29th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – As part of measure to contribute to the reduction in the emission of green-house-gas (GHG), a solution-oriented international Civil society organization), Solidaridad, says she is working towards the adoption of renewable energy along the oil palm value chain.

To achieve this, the Organization, under its National Initiatives for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Oil Palm Smallholders (NISCOPS), weekend, organized a private investors engagement workshop in Enugu, South East Nigeria.

Our Correspondent who was at the workshop reports that the programme was aimed at exploring the adoption of renewable energy for the sustainable oil palm landscape and develop strategies for accessing climate finance for the energy needs of the sector.

Participants at the workshop were stakeholders in the renewable energy and oil palm sector in Nigeria such as manufacturers and dealers of equipment, oil palm processors, and renewable energy financiers such as the central bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Bank of Industry (BOI), among others.

Speaking at the event, Mr Kenechukwu Onukwube, programme manager, oil palm, Solidaridad in Nigeria, noted that the current source of energy in the oil palm landscape is the use of fossil fuel which has its hazard effects on the environment.

According to him, there is a need for the use of clean and safe energy along the oil palm value chain – from the nursery, planting, and post-planting down to harvest and processing.

He stressed that “What is common at the mill level is the use of firewood as the energy source for the boiling of the fresh fruit bunches, this is contributing to deforestation which should be replaced with renewable energy.

“Also, there is the use of fossil fuel in the powering of milling machines, the use of renewable energy will be more sustainable,” Onukwube stated.

Speaker after Speaker among the participants agreed to work towards the increasing use of renewable energy in the oil palm value chain and climate financing for the sector.

Solidaridad currently implements the NISCOPS programme in four Nigerian States of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, and Kogi.
Onukwube, equally hinted that there are over 15,000 smallholder oil palm farmers benefiting from the programme in the four states of Nigeria.

The programme is improving oil palm productivity and the welfare of smallholder farmers through climate-smart agricultural practices.