Janet Ogundepo
Some Nigerian women, amid scarce resources and hurdles, have changed the narratives by developing locally-made inventions to address climate change challenges. These smart solutions not only reduce carbon emissions but also empower these extraordinary women financially independent writes JANET OGUNDEPO.
As a health advocate and nutritionist, Mrs Grace Oluwatoye, has for over 22 years, been using moringa leaves to produce herbal tea.
Often dubbed ‘quick fix medicine’, moringa leaves have always been a staple ingredient in her commercial production of tea, alongside other staple foods in her staple.
Oluwatoye wears several hats and is a woman of several parts. Aside from being a nutritionist, she is also a women empowerment advocate and has helped to make several women find their footing in life.
In a 2015 women empowerment programme, Oluwatoye told nigeriacurrently.com Healthwise that she took some women from the Ijaiye community in Oyo State, to her vast moringa plantation with the aim of acquainting them with the tree’s economic gains and numerous health benefits.
While on the field harvesting the leaves and demonstrating how the stems could be used and also sold as chewing sticks, Oluwatoye inadvertently discovered that the tree contained what she would later identify as ethanol.
The burning sensation she felt in her mouth while chewing on the stem raised several questions in her mind at the time about the chemical substance it could contain.
Little did she know that this discovery would lead to a great discovery – the invention of a jelly-like ethanol-based biofuel, offering a solution to local women’s eye health and environmental concerns caused by exposure to firewood smoke.
Recounting ‘accidental’ discovery with a glint in her eyes, she said, “By accident, we discovered that the Moringa plant has ethanol. Just as I tried to chew the stalk, I felt a burning sensation. When I got home, I told my husband about it and he told me that it was probably ethanol.”
Oluwatoye, who is also a scientist, decided to explore her discovery, and fortunately, she got grants from The Global Environment Facility, a multilateral fund to improve the global environment, which provides grants for projects related to biodiversity and climate change mitigation.
The grants, she explained, provided the needed funds to extensively research on the ethanol discovery from the moringa tree.
From firewood to biofuel
Evidently proud of her achievement and with a voice laced with laughter, Oluwatoye reminisced, “In 2016, we achieved a significant breakthrough. First, we planted an additional 5,000 moringa trees and expanded on our existing plantation. We also explored how to utilise the stems and leaves to address climate change by increasing moringa cultivation and extracting biofuel from it.
“Through intensified efforts and collaborations with research institutes such as the Raw Materials Research and Development Council and the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan, Oyo state, we formed a project implementation committee. This collective effort yielded remarkable results and we successfully generated biofuel, marking a thrilling breakthrough as this had never been done before.”
After this significant breakthrough, Oluwatoye ensured that the moringa biofuel was processed for convenient use and subsequently patented.
A new stove, compatible with the gel, was specially designed and distributed to 120 women in the Ijaiye community with the aim of protecting them from the harmful effect of firewood fumes, and to also give them reprieve from the burden of cooking and gathering firewood.
Biofuel innovation won a laurel
Crowning her effort, the scientist revealed, was the fact that the product won the finalist category in the Equator of the Year award in 2017.
Consequently, the moringa tree, traditionally harvested for its tea and medicinal properties, now serves as a clean cooking biofuel for women in the Ijaiye community, Oyo State.
Oluwatoye’s innovation has arguably contributed to a decrease in tree felling for firewood among women in the community, thereby aiding in the preservation of the area from deforestation.
Additionally, it has led to a reduction in the emission of harmful gases such as carbon dioxide, which are typically associated with the use of firewood.
Bittersweet successes, stifling challenges
Undoubtedly, recognising the remarkable opportunities presented by the product, Oluwatoye nursed high hopes for a government or research institute collaboration to enable commercial production of biofuel and stoves.
Regrettably, such support never materialised. Recalling the huge efforts she made at the national conferences on the environment, where she showcased the products to officials of the Ministry of Environment for approval and scalability, Oluwatoye expressed disappointment at the lack of interest shown by the relevant authorities.
She lamented, “Unfortunately, none was forthcoming. So the project halted after serving those 120 households to which we supplied what the research could accommodate. Fortunately, the women embraced it wholeheartedly, citing its convenience.”
Killed by lack of government interest
The absence of funding to reduce the products’ costs spelt the demise of the projects before they could take off.
Describing the moringa biofuel as a jelly-like substance with minimal inflammation risk and environmentally friendly attributes, Oluwatoye sighed, expressing her regret, “It was very painful for me. I wish I could find someone interested in buying the patent to further develop it.
“The government should be the one pouring resources into it. Besides the biofuel, when we sent the ethanol to the United Kingdom for analysis, we discovered 12 other potential products.”
Despite her disappointment over the project’s discontinuation, the woman inventor finds solace in the fact that 67 per cent of the 5,000 households in Ijaiye, previously reliant on charcoal for cooking energy, could at the time utilise the moringa biofuel.
Biofuel, the climate-smart way
The moringa tree, Oluwatoye says, is a huge carbon sinker that could be exploited due to its fast growth and could be used to meet the food security and renewable energy needs in the country.
A study on the effects of moringa oleifera leaf on ruminal methane and carbon dioxide production published in 2019 by PubMed, reports that extracts of moringa leaves could ameliorate greenhouse gas emissions and decrease methane production rate.
A website, Moringa Trees, also states that moringa has a higher rate of assimilating or absorbing carbon dioxide than that of the general vegetation.
Several reports also highlighted the moringa tree’s ability to grow fast with little water, making it a climate-smart choice plant.
The tree referred to in some quarters as a ‘tree of life’ is also known to have several medicinal benefits.
What’s the problem with the climate?
Due to the direct and indirect activities of man, there has been an alteration in the composition of the global atmosphere, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change stated.
The direct activities of man include burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. When these properties are burned, they release harmful substances into the environment and are trapped in the atmosphere, leading to a change in the normal weather patterns.
The World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal noted that climate change is a significant variation of the average weather conditions.
An example is when the weather is becomes hotter, drier and in some areas, wetter.
Already, about 3.6 billion people are living in areas susceptible to climate change, the World Health Organisation revealed.
WHO also noted that climate change is directly responsible for humanitarian emergencies such as heatwaves, wildfires, floods, storms and hurricanes.
Consequently, women, children, persons with disabilities and the elderly are mostly affected by the impacts of climate change.
To salvage the situation, 196 countries in December 2015, signed a legally binding international treaty on climate change called Paris Agreement.
The goal is “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”
The countries, of which Nigeria is a member, are to communicate actions they will take to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, known as the Nationally Determined Contribution.
This would be possible by individual countries reducing their dependence on and burning coal, charcoal, and other carbon dioxide-emitting fuels, thereby transitioning into deriving energy from natural sources such as the wind, sun and water.
Nigeria has its NDCs and seems to be gradually shifting towards the adoption of clean energy through the introduction of Compressed Natural Gas.
Opportunities for livelihood
To counteract the impacts of climate change, numerous mitigation and adaptation measures have emerged as a silver lining for people worldwide.
While climate change poses a significant threat to humanity, it also presents opportunities for livelihood support. A plethora of innovations aimed at combating and adapting to the effects of climate change have been developed.
Women, like Oluwatoye and some other women nigeriacurrently.com Healthwise, spoke to have been leading the trail in innovating climate-smart products.
… And yet, other amazing women doing the extraordinary
In the heart of Nigeria, in the serene communities of Fufore, Madagali, and Michika in Yola, Adamawa State, a quiet revolution has been taking place.
Ironically, it is not led by politicians or captains of industry but by a group of women armed with ingenuity and a desire for change.
These women discovered a remarkable solution to their energy needs – turning waste into clean, renewable energy sources.
Guided by their local knowledge and determination, they began experimenting with agricultural and human waste, transforming it into briquettes, a sustainable alternative to traditional fuels like firewood.
Their innovative approach is breaking barriers and setting new standards in waste management and energy production.
Speaking on behalf of the women, the President of the Concern on Climate Change for the Community Initiative, Abraham Bala, asserts that these women have continued to surpass their expectations and have consistently produced superior briquettes compared to conventional methods.
Unlike coal or wood, briquettes are made from agricultural waste products and they produce much lower levels of greenhouse gases, making them fit for sustainable practices.
In these communities, the use of briquettes is a common sight and has become an alternative source of fuel energy for women in these areas.
Bala explained, “First, it’s a waste management initiative. It also provides them with a carbon-free source of emission. They produce the briquettes themselves with the raw materials and waste that they have around them.”
These women, despite being trained by Bala’s climate change organisation, have exceeded expectations by innovatively experimenting with various waste materials to create briquettes.
Bala expressed pride in their achievements, stating with a smile, “With some of the raw materials readily available to them, they turn them into briquettes using the skills we have taught them. They have even surpassed our expectations by utilising farm waste such as rice husk chaff, resulting in briquettes of exceptional quality. When we measured the efficiency of these briquettes, they outperformed those made using conventional methods.”
Arguably, these women no longer have to travel long distances to fetch wood for fire.
With the briquettes, they are also no longer exposed to unhealthy fumes from the firewood.
Aside from these local women, some others are also using technology to solve climate change problems.
Climate change vs tech
Leveraging the vast potential of Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and Blockchain, climate change enthusiast and Co-founder of Tyndall Credit, Ms Promise Odoh, along with her team, developed an application aimed at helping countries, organisations, and individuals calculate their carbon footprints and they do this earning money.
According to The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit environmental organisation, a carbon footprint represents the total amount of greenhouse gases generated by human daily activities.
Odoh said that the inspiration for the project stemmed from a “clear vision” to address climate emergencies in the country.
Driven by this vision, the team, comprising both tech and climate enthusiasts, created an application to ensure accurate calculation and reporting of carbon emissions in the environment.
Aligned with the UNFCCC’s and Paris Agreement’s goals to reduce carbon emissions and limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C, Odoh took proactive steps to tackle her country’s climate change challenges head-on.
She explained that the application offers features tailored for individuals using clean energy sources.
“For instance, it includes heat sensors connected to IoT devices for monitoring carbon emissions from clean stoves. Additionally, for afforestation and agroforestry initiatives, the mobile app allows users to capture geo-coordinates, timestamps, and tree types planted, enabling remote monitoring of tree survival and growth rates,” she added.
Odoh emphasised that the application targets Small-Medium Scale entrepreneurs and individuals, providing them with the opportunity to earn carbon credits.
She described how the technology simplifies carbon offsets, calculates carbon footprints based on user data (including energy consumption and transportation), and generates carbon credits accordingly.
Earn carbon credits
Odoh highlighted that the application ensures the traceability and transparency of carbon credits.
Carbon credits represent individuals’ contributions to reducing carbon emissions, allowing them to sell them on the marketplace and receive financial incentives for adopting sustainable behaviours and reducing their carbon footprint.
Carbon credits operate as trading systems where organisations and individuals can buy and sell carbon to offset emissions.
By participating in this process, individuals become active contributors to climate change mitigation and environmental protection while also benefiting financially.
Odoh, who was one of the top finalists at the 2023 African Climate Innovation Challenge, added, “For individuals, Tnydall credit technologies work by simplifying carbon offsets and providing a clear pathway to engage in sustainable practices. It calculates carbon footprints such that the users can have data related to their carbon emissions which might include activities like energy consumption, transportation and travel.
“It operates by generating carbon credits by calculating individuals’ carbon emissions and based on this data generates carbon credits. These credits represent the individual’s contribution to reducing carbon emissions, that way, individuals can sell these carbon credits on the marketplace by providing financial incentives for adopting sustainable behaviours and reducing one’s carbon footprint.”
The application, she further explained, also ensures the traceability and transparency of carbon credits.
She added that technology plays a pivotal role in combating climate change and offering solutions.
“It facilitates emission reduction, supports the adoption of renewable energy, enables carbon capture and storage, enhances climate modelling and data analysis, promotes efficiency and smart cities, and monitors climate data via satellite, among other benefits.
“By harnessing technology, stakeholders are empowered to address climate challenges effectively and work towards building a sustainable future,” the inventor said.
Indigenous solutions are commendable– Experts
A climate change expert and the Executive Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Studies, Dr Aminu Zakari, commended the women’s initiatives, describing it as the interplay of ingenious knowledge to adapt to the climate change challenges.
He further called for the adoption and promotion of more women and youth-led innovations and solutions addressing climate change.
“Indigenous knowledge is promoted in addressing global warming and climate change issues. Before now, people made use of their local knowledge on the issue of adaptability and resilience. The fact that they are already taking the initiatives, I think they have solved the problem halfway and it is left for the government and donor agencies to come and upscale the project for them in terms of capacity building, enabling environment and resource mobilisation,” he said.
Zakari added that the support of women-focused projects would lead to continuity and an increase in local solutions for climate change issues.
Zakari, however, noted that the lack of awareness of funding initiatives and opportunities from donor agencies and the government created a strain on the progress and viability of the projects for the local women.
“There is a Global Environmental Facility fund being managed by the UNDP in Nigeria and they have been making small grant funds from the range of $10, 000, – 25,000 available for these initiatives. Due to the inaccessibility of these resources, some of the funding gets returned. So, you see the gap in the linkages in terms of the capacity and knowledge,” the climate expert said.
Zakari further called for specific and clear-cut plans to reduce carbon emissions in several sectors.
Having such plans, he noted, could further help the country to earn foreign currencies from efforts to reduce the constant discharge of harmful gases into the environment known as carbon credits.
He advised the government to meet up with its commitment to climate change and create initiatives to address climate change issues locally.
‘Women need more support’
Women play a significant role in climate change solutions and adaptability measures in Nigeria, the President of a non-governmental organisation, Africa Environmental Health Organisation, Abiodun Afolabi, stated.
Although Afolabi commended the women’s effort, he expressed concerns over their inability to access funds for large-scale production.
He urged the women to seek out donor agencies for support and funding to ensure large-scale production and adoption of their inventions.
“The skills the women have is a good one and it will be good for them to link up with the relevant ministries on climate change so that they can be more empowered technically and monetarily. This initiative needs to be widely adopted in the country so that they can continue to be in business and this will support them and grow their business,” Afolabi added.
He further stated that since women were mostly affected by the impacts of climate change, empowering them to invent locally-made solutions was non-negotiable.
Also speaking, a data scientist focused on evaluating sustainable energy sources and addressing climate change impacts, Adebola Olabode, said grassroots innovations were important in tackling global challenges, including climate change.
He added, “Faced with environmental threats like floods, droughts, and fluctuating temperatures, these women have become proactive change agents. They leveraged their knowledge of local conditions, resources, and traditional practices to develop creative solutions that are effective and culturally sustainable.
“By promoting eco-friendly practices in their communities, their efforts are making a tangible difference in mitigating the effect of climate change. Not only do these initiatives address environmental challenges but they also allow these women to serve as positive role models for future generations, demonstrating that anyone, irrespective of their background or gender, can contribute to positive change and a sustainable future.”
Olabode urged stakeholders to recognise the women’s contributions and support their efforts with adequate resources, capacity building, and policy frameworks.
The climate data scientist called for greater support for women’s empowerment and the nationwide adoption of locally-made climate solutions.
He described their inability to access funds as a reinforcement of gender inequalities and existing power imbalances.
“Nigeria can harness the full potential of women as agents of change in addressing climate change,” Olabode said empathically.
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