Organisation inaugurates centre for bio-gel production
NAN-H-38
Project
By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko
Ibadan, Nov. 23, 2016 (NAN) Lifebuilders, an Ibadan NGO, has inaugurated a centre for production of bio-gel (cooking fuel) production at Akinyele Local Government Area, Oyo State.
The organisation’s Executive Director, Chief Grace Oluwatoye, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan.
NAN reports that Lifebuilders and partners also recently produced moringa bio-gel as a climate change impact mitigation project.
Lifebuilders is an organisation registered for health and sustainable development interventions targeted at young people and rural dwellers.
Part of its goals is to enhance self-employment among women and out-of-school youth in the non-formal sector including agriculture and other vocations of their choice.
Oluwatoye said the organisation since 2004 had been promoting the moringa tree as a ‘miracle’ tree with several potentials for exploitation.
“Lifebuilders has worked in collaboration with VMV Ltd to produce the VIDSAMOR Moringa tea, powder as well as fortified plantain powder which promotes healthy diet.
“It has worked assiduously on making bio-gel for cooking out of the moringa ethanol produced from moringa plant.
“With funding support under the Global Environment Funds Small Grant programme, Lifebuilders enlarged its moringa farm at Ijaiye, Akinyele LGA, Oyo state, with additional 500,000 trees.
“The trees form a raw material base for the production line,” she said.
She further noted that a successful outcome of the project was the design of locally fabricated machines for processing the bio-gel.
“More success stories is about how the wastes of fibres, wood particles of moringa are ready sources of raw materials for building industries as inputs into ceiling asbestos, POP fillers,” she said.
Oluwatoye said the organisation also worked in collaboration with Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, Raw Materials Research and Development Council, as well as University of Ibadan, among others.
She appreciated the donor, Global Environmental Fund Small Grant Programme (GEF-SGP) for giving the organisation the opportunity to explore the innovation for the benefit of mankind. (NAN)
CC/MST/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola