The Federal Government of Nigeria and the private sector have been urged to invest in renewable energy in a bid to make Nigeria the start-up hub of Africa.
This was made known by the Executive Director Innov8 Hub, Edward Singhatey at the commissioning of the E-CUBE Smart Village organised by LR Group, in collaboration with Innov8 Hub, an initiative of the Israel Embassy in Nigeria, Office of the Vice President, Skill G Ltd., Gregory University and DeNovo.
Singhatey said the energy innovation named E-CUBE concept worth $250,000 was invented in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs 2030 and will help solve the challenges of rural needs in areas of e-learning, agriculture production, telemedicine, community Centre, water treatment and connectivity hub adding that achieving development in the rural area is an expensive feat as there are 10 million people that do not have access to electricity according to 2020 World Bank report.
He also said that the E-CUBE Smart Village will be built with locally made building materials, thereby providing job opportunities and building of capacities.
“The innovation will help sustain SGs 1 (No poverty), SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger), SDGs 3 (Good health and well-being), SDGs 4 (Quality education); SDGs 5 (Quality equality); SDGs 6 (Clean water and sanitation) and SDGs 7 (Affordable and clean energy).
The reason this innovation hub was established was to provide an environment, place facilities and infrastructure where young Nigerians can come with their ideas and put their ideas into actual products with the assistance of our experts, our mentors, both domestic and international.”
The Director also said, the concept of E-CUBE and Smart Village concepts can provide a way around by providing infrastructure to the people who need it the most while also adding that they are in rural communities with little access to modern infrastructure.
The LR Group of Israel, E-CUBE, Avi Eluayam in his opening remarks at the event said the project E-CUBE is an all in one solution, infrastructure establishment, sustainable for rural communities’ concept solutions while also explaining its capacity, sustainability benefits, and its importance to the development of rural areas.
“The system that we have here on display has 50 kilowatt of modules and is able to generate 300 kilowatts per day. This is enough for a community of 300-400 families. The cost of it is about $250,000.
The Acting Director, Renewable and Rural Power Access Department of the Federal Ministry of Power, Mr Ali-Dapshima Abubakar at the event lauded the maiden E-Cube energy production initiative saying it would mark a new turn in affordable and sustainable manner in Nigeria’s power sector.
Represented by the Chief Electrical Engineer in the Ministry, Mr Bem Ayangegor, he said that renewable energy has become important to the future of power generation for Nigeria mega cities, industrial-hubs and rural areas.
“Permit me to commend the commitment and dedication of this team. I believe this is a good beginning for more of such projects that will increase access to energy in an affordable and sustainable manner.”
The Managing Partner/CEO, Agric Division of LR Group, Mr Doron Retter, said that the E-CUBE facility cost $250, 000, saying that the concept was designed to boost infrastructural growth in rural areas.
He also explained E-Cube to be a smart sustainable solar-powered facility designed to provide Nigerians access to power day and night, potable drinking water, education, communication, health and higher productivity.
The E-CUBE is a self-sustainable solar-powered facility that uses technology to bolster power generation and distribution, agriculture, medicine, education, ICT, portable water supply, and communal interaction within a recyclable ecosystem which is to be set up in rural areas all over Africa. The project will be established in Nigeria and extended to other African countries.
The main objective of the E-CUBE is to aid the eradication of hunger and poverty in rural areas all over Africa. The event went on with the official commissioning and a brief tour of the E-cube and the innovation Hub.
In attendance at the commissioning were; the Nigerians Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Standard Organizations of Nigeria (SON), the Federal Ministry of Power, the USAID Power Africa program, and the Director General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council among others.
Signed:
Olayemi John-Mensah
Media/Strategy Officer, ACCI
