As part of the World Youth Skills Day 2022 Commemoration, Lift Humanity Foundation, in partnership with Break Free from Plastics Initiative, organized a pivotal training for 67 community women and youths on the production of biomass briquettes in Zabi Ward, Zaria, Kaduna State, on Saturday, 16th July 2022.
According to Mr. Pius OKO, representing Lift Humanity Foundation, sustainable energy access is a crucial factor in addressing material and structural poverty. There is a growing consensus that global energy poverty is heavily concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Currently, about 580 million people in the region, roughly 75% of the global total, lack access to electricity (IEA, 2019). Even more concerning, around 80% of the population, nearly 800 million people, still rely on traditional biomass sources like wood, charcoal, and dung for cooking.
Mr. OKO stated that in Nigeria, less than 30% of the 200 million population has access to uninterrupted electricity, which is primarily sourced from the unreliable national grid, leaving many communities without power. Consequently, energy demand far exceeds supply.
Ms. Ameedat Abdulsalam, Project Manager at Lift Humanity Foundation, highlighted the significance of the training, which equipped participants with practical skills in biomass briquette production. The initiative empowered women with enhanced knowledge to address climate change adaptation and develop evidence-based advocacy strategies. She stressed that the transition of businesses and households, especially in vulnerable regions, alongside early planning to prevent stranded assets in fossil-fuel-dependent industries and communities, is just as critical as implementing core climate policies. This requires policy alignment across all sectors of the economy.
Additionally, she emphasized the importance of identifying essential technical, institutional, and community capacities needed for a transformative approach to tackle climate change, as well as exploring innovative financing mechanisms to drive impact on a large scale.