The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), working in partnership with the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP), has commissioned a 26kW solar-powered cold room in Sagbokoji, a riverine fishing community in Lagos State.
The facility, inaugurated on Wednesday, is designed to tackle food spoilage and strengthen the livelihoods of women fish farmers and seafood processors who have long faced challenges from unreliable electricity supply.
GEF-SGP’s Programme Management Senior Assistant, Rose Agbo, said the cold room would deliver climate-smart storage solutions to improve food security and safeguard incomes in the coastal settlement.
“By introducing this infrastructure, we are addressing climate challenges and helping women in Sagbokoji preserve their fish without resorting to charcoal and firewood,” she explained in remarks delivered by National Coordinator Ibironke Olubamise.
She added that 10 NGOs and 10 young Nigerian energy innovators took part in a field visit to examine the project’s implementation as a model for community-led renewable energy initiatives.
Chairman of the New Energy Frontiers (NEF) Group, Daniel Adeuyi, said the installation represents the second phase of the cold-room project, which began in 2023.
“Over two years, we have gathered data showing how this intervention has supported Sagbokoji. The expansion quadruples the solar capacity from 6kW to 26kW and increases battery storage fivefold,” Adeuyi stated.
He added that the upgraded system also establishes the groundwork for a pilot independent electricity distribution model to power productive economic hubs in the community.
NEF Co-Chair Adekunle Makinde noted that the organisation is collaborating with the community to train local operators for the cold room, including plans for on-site staff accommodation.
“It’s crucial that young men and women here gain skills to manage and sustain the infrastructure,” he said.
Leader of the Sagbokoji Fish Sellers Association, Jiselle Azankpo, expressed gratitude, describing the project as “a blessing for fishing women” who now have access to reliable storage.
The Baale of Sagbokoji, Chief Ovime Anthony, assured the community’s cooperation, praising the project as a catalyst for progress and development.
“This expansion will bring more advancement to our town and uplift our people,” the traditional ruler said.
