BioDigester Project At Rije Village CONTINUATION

It started as a whimsical idea passed between two professionals over linkedIn and now two years later we are a team of almost 30 individuals working tirelessly across language barriers, personal challenges and differing work schedule to bring electricity to an off grid community. Rije residents are impatiently waiting for our innovation to kick off. The first phase of the project is finished. We have finished with the biodigester now waiting on our methane generator and the electric metres to start our mini-grids to the community.

We have managed to identify three individuals in the community who would be managing this project for their community once we up and leave them with their new innovation. Its been a beautiful struggle but we are just starting. there are still over 100 off grid communities in Kuje Area Council alone. With almost 600 families per community and preliminary energy audit showing that families use an estimated $20 a month on power needs, that equates to $12, 000, 000 worth of energy consumption not catered for by the national grid. the numbers are mind-blowing but what is even more mind blowing is how quickly technology can be adopted. the energy profile of this small community would triple in the first month of our grid going live.

KOA

Workers Day, Tomatoes and Dangote

Happy Worker's day to all my people with jobs and hoping to get jobs. It has been a long weekend to unwind and re-evaluate career choices.
Workers Day also called Labour Day is a globally accepted day to acknowledge the role of the labour force in our development and how they gained their right to proper working conditions, welfare and recognition.

A large number of us are without jobs and bear very bleak prospects of finding any. This day thus takes on extra significance in the face of gross youth unemployment we are witnessing. Those who dare to take the entrepreneurial route are lucky to have something worthwhile doing but please do not forget that your workers welfare is non-negotiable. All over the world we witness that it's different scenarios but our struggle is universal : better jobs, better lives, fairer practices, basic needs in a complex time.

Talking of complex times, the prices of tomato is at an all time right now. The quantities I used to buy for 250 naira now retails for 1500 naira. Tomato traders all over the country are feeling the pinch. My preliminary research shows that massive losses incurred during storage as usual have spiked tomato prices again. Some other reasons I am hearing is that the Dangote tomato processing plant has kicked off production buying large volumes directly from tomato growers in the north thereby creating a scarcity in the open market. My heart jumps with joy as Africa's richest man invests in agriculture but I would send a cautionary note of how big scale industrial agriculture might not be a silver bullet for food security. A diversified agricultural chain where both small and large scale agribusiness can thrive would lend resilience to our food system.

Salute to all workers all over the world, salute to Mr Dangote and salute to everyone striving to create a fairer, Humane and positive world.

KOA