Lagos: Hopewell initiatives for national development advocates clean energy

…Facilitates Solar Energy for 100 Homes

Clean and renewable energy has been described as a productivity and health booster that every Nigerians must embrace.

This was the thrust of the discourse at a forum tagged: “Empowering Women Through Clean Energy,” organized by an NGO- Hopewell Initiatives For National Development in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) and BLUETTI Energy Nigeria Limited on Friday at the Women Development Centre Agege, Lagos.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) Hon. Bolaji Dada in her speech at the programme harped on the importance of clean energy for all, she said that the ministry is concerned about ensuring life-impacting opportunities get to the women and vulnerable ones in the society.

Dada who was ably represented by a Deputy Director in the ministry Mrs. Olubukola Ogunbanwo commended the Initiative’s role and affirmed that with the availability of clean energy, there will be a high-level reduction in the vulnerability of the women, their cost and ease of doing business, improving their self-worth and better society perception.

“Empowerment is a core mandate of our ministry.

Access to clean energy of this nature with 100 units of solar energy products will contribute immensely to the wellbeing of our women and by extension our community, state and the entire nation.

“We recognise the importance of training and partnership that BLUETTI is offering our women through the Hopewell Initiative For National Development.

“It is not simply about the intervention but the fact that it avails an avenue for the women and beneficiaries to learn, train and grow, the lives and livelihoods of women in Lagos State will be positively impacted.”

The Founder of Hopewell Initiative For National Development Mrs. Bilquees Aiyepola earlier in her welcome speech hinted that the BLUETTI Energy Nigeria Limited, is investing through Lighting An African Family (LAAF) Programme, 100 units of its solar energy products as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to carefully selected women across Lagos State, who really needs the items for a brighter future and to make them self reliant.

Aiyepola noted that the forum, “represents a commitment to exploring practical ways of improving the lives of women, strengthening families and contributing to sustainable community development through access to clean and reliable energy.

“Our vision at Hopewell Initiatives is to contribute our modest quota towards building a society where people, especially women and vulnerable members of our communities, can have greater opportunities to become economically productive and socially impactful.

“We recognise that there are many challenges confronting our society today, and we may not be able to solve all of them at once.

However, we strongly believe that every positive intervention counts.

“You will agree with me that when a woman is empowered, a family is strengthened. When families are strengthened, communities become more resilient. And when communities progress, the Nation moves forward.”

Speaking to the importance of the empowerment programme Aiyepola commended the supportive mien of the State’s Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) and that of the Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Chairman Mr. Usman Hamzat ably represented by his Special Adviser on Public Health Adelaja Oluwatobi.

She added that, “Access to free solar energy power as alternative to electricity light will make a tremendous difference in the daily lives and economic activities of women.

“This will also support small businesses, improve productivity, reduce dependence on traditional sources of energy and create opportunities for women to grow their income with greater confidence and dignity.

“Our strategic collaboration with BLUETTI Energy Nigeria Limited is timely and therefore a significant step towards exposing women to economic growth, innovative and sustainable clean-energy solutions.

“We sincerely appreciate BLUETTI Energy Nigeria Limited for partnering with us and for recognising the importance of investing in women and communities and we look forward to more opportunities.”

One of the invited guests at the empowerment forum, the Lagos State Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Comrade Usman Teslim was quick to add that the empowerment covers one of the essentials of life that people clamour for from government-light.

“Light is life, one of the factors that power the economy aside transport is light, so I thank the BLUETTI who through the Hopewell Initiatives has brought hope for our women.

“In our country today, you need multiple streams of income to survive, the opportunity of our women becoming BLUETTI agents is a good one as well. If the stakeholders and donor can do more there will much more hope for the people.”

The delegation of BLUETTI Energy Nigeria Limited led by the Business manager Mr. Chukwudi Onwa cited the gap of over 800 million families in Sub-Saharan African living without access to electricity as the driving force of the company.

“LAAF was initiated by this reality gap and a group of donor and stakeholders are the ones funding it.

“It is a free item we are giving to people; we have distributed over 15,000 units around sub–Saharan Africa, it is something we do as part of our CSR.

“To the beneficiaries this has come for them to have an easy life away from the grid challenges in Nigeria, this is us helping to close the gap.

“It has come to open doors for the beneficiaries, aside lighting up their homes and for those using their phones for business it will help to power them, students in these families can read their books without being worried that there won’t be supply from the grid. There is also opportunity for them to become agents and earn additional incomes.”

Also, from the energy company Mr. Olanrewaju Ariwoola and Mrs. Abiola Akiniyi also speak to the realities of the lack of energy to meet people’s urgent needs, as well as the components contained in the units be given as hand-out to beneficiaries and how it can be put to use and better managed.

According to Ariwoola the unit has three light bulbs, a solar panel, a solar powered battery, lighting cables and it can light-up a three-bedrooms flat apartment with 209watts if charged for close to 6-7 Hours.

Some of the elated beneficiaries like Mrs. Oluwaseunfunmi Fadeyi and Mrs. Rukaya Idowu stated their resolve to ensure the promotion of cleaner energy solution to others in their neighbourhood.