CTH-WISIONS CAPACITY TRAININGS: WEEK 2

*Ifeoma Malo and Desmond Dogara

Clean Technology Hub is excited about holding the second session of the Capacity Building of a New Generation of Energy Practitioners programme. This is a six-week online training programme organised by Clean Technology Hub and Wuppertal Institute, under the WISIONS of Sustainability initiative.

The programme aims to improve the social impact of decentralised renewable energy (DRE) projects, avoid the replication of social inequities in project communities, and improve the sustainability of DRE projects by increasing long-term community governance of such projects.

The guest speaker for the second session of the course, titled “Community-Based Approaches to DRE Project Design and Implementation”, was Mr. Sa’ad Kamal-deen. Mr Sa’ad is an experienced Renewable Energy Specialist with over 8 years of demonstrated history of leading projects internationally in the public and private sectors. He is skilled in Project Management, Procurement, Project Finance and Decentralised Energy Systems. Mr. Sa’ad shared his insights and experience on how to apply community-based approaches to DRE project design and implementation in Nigeria. Community-based approaches are becoming increasingly widespread in climate change adaptation and DRE initiatives in developing countries, as they seek to empower local communities to identify and implement the projects they most need. Community-based approaches also address other socioeconomic issues that contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as poverty reduction, gender equality, health and education, and environmental protection. Community-based approaches can foster the development of locally relevant, culturally appropriate, and resource-efficient solutions by leveraging the existing assets, strengths, and knowledge of the local communities.

He discussed the key principles and steps of community-based approaches, such as participatory assessment, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. He also highlighted the benefits and challenges of community-based approaches, such as increased ownership, accountability, and sustainability of DRE projects, as well as the need for capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and conflict resolution. He presented some examples of successful community-based DRE projects in Nigeria, such as the solar mini-grid project in Rokota community, Niger State, and the solar home system project in Gbamu Gbamu community, Ogun State. He concluded by emphasising the importance of adopting a people-centered and holistic approach to DRE project design and implementation, which considers the needs, preferences, and aspirations of the local communities as well as the environmental and social implications of DRE projects.

The session was very informative and inspiring, and trainees look forward to learning more from the upcoming sessions. If you are interested in learning more about the course or the DRE sector in Nigeria, you can visit the following links:

Social Media Handles WISIONS & Wuppertal Institute:

LinkedIn:

• @WISIONS of sustainability
• @Clean Tech Hub Nigeria
• - @Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie gGmbH
• Facebook:
• - @WISIONS of sustainability
• Clean Technology Hub- Energy Innovation Center
• Twitter / X:
• - @wisions
• - @Wupperinst
• @cleantechhubng
• Instagram:
• - @wupperinst
• @cleantechnologyhub