ALFSI — Aquaponics for Livelihood & Food Security Initiative
Aquaponics, food processing, cold chain & enterprise development
The Opportunity
An existing but underutilised cold-room facility, a community with agricultural and fisheries activity, and many unemployed and underemployed young women in Ibeju-Lekki and surrounding communities.
The Response
An integrated aquaponics system (fish and soilless vegetables) supported by cold storage and ice production, run as an incubation programme for 12 young women aged 18–30, with market linkages to local markets, hotels, supermarkets, restaurants and institutional buyers.
The System
- Aquaponics production and system maintenance
- Cold-chain and ice-production infrastructure
- Fish processing, packaging, branding and quality assurance
- Agribusiness and enterprise management training
- AgriFuture Pathways: a prototype aquaponics system at Magbon Senior Grammar School
Intended Outcomes
- 12 empowered young women
- An operational aquaponics facility
- Rehabilitated cold-chain and processing infrastructure
- Established market linkages
- A school-based aquaponics learning platform
The Partners
Magbon Senior Grammar School; ALFSI Advisory Committee
Dagbaja Oriade Cocoa Aggregation Pilot
Cocoa aggregation, post-harvest infrastructure & rural connectivity
The Opportunity
A cocoa-producing community with an established farmers’ cooperative, where gaps in aggregation, post-harvest infrastructure and market access limit the value of local production, alongside limited telecommunications and internet connectivity.
The Response
Strengthening the cooperative’s capacity to consolidate cocoa, improving handling and drying, connecting aggregated cocoa to buyers, and supporting better telecommunications and internet access.
The System
- Cocoa aggregation through the cooperative
- Improved drying infrastructure
- Solar power for essential agricultural infrastructure
- Market access and buyer connections
- Rural connectivity and supporting infrastructure
Intended Outcomes
- More coordinated cocoa aggregation
- Improved post-harvest handling and cocoa quality
- Stronger access to markets and value-chain opportunities
- Improved access to energy, telecoms and digital infrastructure
- A practical model for rural agricultural economies
The Partners
Dagbaja Oriade cocoa farmers’ cooperative
Opialu Clean Energy Cassava Last-Mile Pilot
Cassava value chain, clean energy & last-mile infrastructure
The Opportunity
Cassava anchors local livelihoods in Opialu, but gaps between production, aggregation, processing, energy access and markets limit the value farmers can capture.
The Response
Connecting local production with the infrastructure, logistics, processing capacity and market relationships needed to move cassava from farm to processed product to market.
The System
- A clean-energy cassava processing machine
- Cassava aggregation from local producers
- Local processing close to where cassava is grown
- Last-mile infrastructure
- Market linkage for processed products
Intended Outcomes
- Improved access to processing infrastructure
- Greater use of clean energy in agricultural processing
- Reduced dependence on conventional energy
- Greater local value creation and income
- A replicable model combining clean energy, processing and rural development