Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, in partnership with C40 Cities and funded by the UK Government’s Urban Climate Action Programme, is set to launch a $90,000 biogas plant at the Ikosi Fruit Market in Ketu, Lagos, reported Punch Ng.
The announcement was made in a statement by the ministry’s spokesperson, Kunle Adeshina, on Thursday.
According to a release from the project’s organisers, the initiative, which follows months of planning, studies, and community consultations, aims to convert organic food waste from the market into biogas for power generation.
The project will involve the installation of a biodigester at Ikosi Market, converting organic waste into biogas. This will not only produce energy from waste but also help reduce environmental emissions while improving the livelihoods of market traders.
Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, highlighted the project’s dual impact, stating, “While the primary goal is to reduce methane emissions, an important additional benefit is the improvement in the lives of market traders, particularly with the cold storage facility that will help keep their produce fresher for longer.”
Aditi Maheshwari, Managing Director for Climate Action Implementation at C40, also commented, “We hope this project will help Lagos build a strong case for leveraging both its own finances and external investments to scale up and achieve broader city-wide impacts.”
The biogas plant’s power will provide lighting in key areas of the market and support refrigeration, reducing spoilage for traders and contributing to sustainability in the marketplace.
