Kwara State Government, in partnership with the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReASAL) and the Abral Development Initiative (ADI) has launched briquette, made from 100 per cent organic raw materials, to serve as alternative initiative to traditional charcoal.
Speaking at the flag off of the universal climate initiative (UCI) in Ijagbo, Oyun local government area of the state on Friday, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq said that part of the initiative include planting of 160,000 trees across all the 16 local government areas in the state.
Tagged, “Eedu Ramoni”, the governor, represented by the state commissioner for Environment, Hajia Nafisat Huge, said that the briquette is made from materials including agricultural waste products like orange peels, banana peels, corn husks, rice husks and other biodegradable wastes.
He said the innovative product serves as a sustainable and cleaner alternative to traditional charcoal, which is typically made by cutting down trees.
“Trees, however, are not just part of our landscape. They are essential to our very existence. They purify the air we breathe, provide shelter for wildlife, and combat climate change by absorbing harmful carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The act of planting trees is, therefore, a vital step in safeguarding our planet’s future and promoting human health and well-being,” he said.
The governor commended the initiative, championed by Opeyemi Alao of the Abral Development Initiative, saying that it has a lasting positive impact on our forests.
“This initiative promises to empower our communities through the introduction of energy-saving stoves and the support of locally produced components”.
Also speaking, chairman of Abral Development Initiative, Opeyemi Alao, said that training is provided through collaboration with technical consultants on how to produce the briquette, “towards allowing individuals to generate income while contributing to environmental conservation”.
He also said that the eco-friendly initiative has economic empowerment, adding that the production of “Eedu Ramoni” creates job opportunities, particularly, for youth and women in rural communities.
“Eedu Ramoni is a cost-effective fuel option, particularly for rural areas where traditional charcoal is either expensive or hard to come by. It helps reduce household energy costs while supporting local economies.
Also, who said that the initiative supports local agriculture, added that “Using organic waste from agriculture (such as banana peels, corn husks, and rice waste) not only provides a solution to waste management but also creates a circular economy model where local farmers and producers can benefit by supplying the raw materials for the production of Eedu Ramoni”.
In his speech, the state project coordinator of ACReASAL, Shamsudeen Aregbe, said that the tree planting initiative is part of Renewed Hope agenda of the President Bola Tinubu administration to reclaim one million hectares of land in the
ACReASAL’s 19 northern states and the FCT areas.
Aregbe, who said that a total of 35,000 hectares of land are planned to be reclaimed in Kwara state out of the 350,000 hectares of land meant to be reclaimed by ACReASAL.
The ACReASAL Kwara state project coordinator also said that five hectares of land were used for tree planting nursery site in Ijagbo, adding that the idea behind the project was that no land should be allowed to be degraded just as the degraded ones should be recovered.
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