Zenith Bank, GEF, FOTE empower 100 women in Lagos

Zenith Bank Plc, Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme and Friends of the Environment (FOTE) have empowered over 100 women in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government of Lagos State.

The empowerment programme titled ‘Campaign to promote LPG Use under FOTE Climate Change Initiative’, which started in July 2017, culminated with the workshop and sensitisation programme recently.

The event was held at the Iberikodo Community Primary School Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area in Lagos.

The ceremony had in attendance the Head of Corporate Social Responsibility Zenith Bank Plc, Mrs. Eunice Sampson; the Chairperson, Friends of the Environment, Engr. (Mrs.) J.O Maduka; the Chairman, Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area, Hon. Sarakat Semiu Olorunkemi, and the Vice-Chairman, Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area, Hon. Abujeli Odofin.

The program was organised by the Friends of the Environment and sponsored by Zenith Bank Plc. and the GEF Small Grants Programme of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

From the baseline study conducted during the pre-event survey, it was apparent that majority of the women in Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area use firewood, kerosene stoves and charcoal as their main source of domestic energy.

86 percent of the women cook with kerosene stove and firewood while 14 percent make use of Gas.

Averagely the 86 percent of people surveyed spend between N5000 – N10000 monthly on firewood/kerosene while those who use the LPG spend averagely N3500 on refilling the gas.

On further discussion with the women using firewood and or kerosene stoves, all of them indicated their interest in the use of gas. However, they lacked the initial sum for purchase of the cylinder and gas burner.

Interestingly, a significant number of respondents had fears regarding the use of gas and assumed it was not a safe way of cooking.

Another 24 percent stated they did not know how to operate the gas cylinder or burner at all, while others simply get free firewood from the adjoining forest.

The findings at Ibeju Lekki were instructive, as the level of awareness about LPG use was much lower than expected of a peri-urban location in Lagos.

The workshop and seminar which were carried out at the event were therefore very well received by the women of Ibeju Lekki.

The workshop in particular covered the use and benefits of cooking gas, and answered several questions asked by the women in the audience.

The event was also used to introduce the Zenith Wonderbag – a heat retention cooker, which saves more than 30 percent of regular energy costs.

The wonderbag was used in combination with the LPG burner to show how savings on any energy source can be made.

In her welcome address, Engr. (Mrs.) J.O Maduka, said one of FOTE’s aims for the women in Nigeria is to help prevent health hazards from environmental pollution, adding that the LPG awareness campaign was therefore a major project for the organisation.

Buttressing FOTE’s position, Mrs. Eunice Sampson advised the women of Ibeju Lekki to take advantage of the drop in LPG prices.
According to her, this would help improve health, and also the environment.

Other speakers at the occasion included the LCCCI women group representative. Mrs. Ademokun; the GEF Small Grants Programme representative, Mrs. Bunmi Obidare; representative of the LPG marketers in LCCI, Mr. Godwin Okodua and the Lagos State Ministry of Energy representative, Mr. Ali Saheed.

The event which was sponsored by Zenith Bank Plc is the first of a 7 part awareness campaign by FOTE which includes 4 more local government in Lagos State and 2 local government areas in Ogun State.