During my recently concluded course, "Planning for Climate Change in African Cities," I utilized the Climact Prio tool, developed by the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam, to prioritize climate actions using qualitative assessments and multi-criteria analysis. This approach weighted factors such as cost, social impact, and environmental benefits across several stakeholder demographics
My focus was Ife South Local Government (@Hon. Aroke Aderemi Muyiwa, @Hon. Lukman Tijani Kolawole) in Osun State (@Prof Chinwe Obiakwu), Nigeria—bordering Ondo State, approximately 220km from Lagos, 100km from Akure, and 135km from Ogun airstrips, with Ibadan train station 86km away. Ife South is a farming community of ~100,000 people facing challenges common in southern Nigeria: rainy-season mobility issues, crude farming practices, erosion, unclean water, and poor storage. Key crops include cocoa, oranges, maize, cassava, plantains, cashew, palm kernel etc
Key Findings from Climact Prio Analysis
I assessed various climate actions in the Ife South Plan:
Pre-Weighting Priorities
Sustainable Farming Practices (agriculture, livestock, aquaculture) ranked highest for food security.
Decentralized Power Systems (20MWp solar) emerged as a top solution for energy access, though its high capital cost (N17.82B) is a challenge—partly mitigated by our Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.
Community Rainwater Harvesting stood out for addressing flooding and clean water shortages.
Post-Weighting Priorities
Sustainable Farming and Power Systems led in revenue potential (N1.28B/year & N14.46B/year) and climate resilience.
Enhanced Information Access & Digital Inclusion stood out, particularly for girl-child equity, equipping young girls and boys with digital tools and education—valued by both youth and elders for its long-term contributions to growth, development, and social equity.
Better waste management practices and improvements are highly favoured, helps innovation and provides steady income
Rainwater Harvesting gained traction for its low-cost, quick-win benefits.
Public Health, Safety & Environmental Awareness ranked high for preventing pneumonia and other preventable diseases through education.
Rewards for Adoption (e.g., swapping kerosene stoves for biogas) incentivized sustainability—well aligned with @SEforALL’s clean energy goals.
Stakeholder Engagement & Economic Impact
Farmers will embrace yield-boosting innovations from platforms like @SoillessFarmLab and @AtlanticShrimpers.
Households find affordable energy solutions (N18,000/month vs. PHCN’s N15,000/month) appealing.
Flood relief efforts, supported by @DARES' renewable scale-up, enhance climate adaptation.
Job creation: Projected 1,225 jobs by Year 5, growing to ~1,000 permanent jobs by Year 15—backed by @REA’s rural electrification program.
Co2 offset (renewables): ~160,000 tonnes
Afforestation Impact: ~109,000 tonnes (3M economic trees × 0.0366 tCO₂/tree).
Approximate 270,000 tonnes CO₂ offset (~7M trees equivalent) by year 30
Strategic Partnerships & Investment Opportunities
We leverage expertise from:
@JamesFarmerTech (renewable energy & sustainable transport).
@REEEP (renewable energy insights).
@GEAPP (energy access solutions).
@AfDB (regional resilience funding).
Agricultural extensionists
Potential impact funders include:
@RockefellerFdn (scaling climate solutions).
@BezosEarthFund (bold environmental action).
@Empower & @IKEAFoundation (catalytic funding for equitable growth).
Long-Term Vision & Economic Projections
Two models emerged:
A micro approach aligned with existing projects.
A macro model focused on long-term resilience.
By Year 5:
Projected N7.49B/year (~$5M/year) in revenue.
Basic Incomes are expected to rise from N50,000/month to N192,000/month.
By Years 15–30:
24-hour energy access.
Zero-emission systems.
sustained economic and environmental resilience, providing a scalable blueprint for similar communities.
Addressing Environmental Risks
Illegal and presumed polluted mining craters/lakes (@MM, @JohnAttah, @DeleAlake) threaten safety, farmland, and the environment, exacerbating vulnerabilities. Urgent intervention is needed to mitigate pollution, reclaim land, and prevent further ecological damage.
Next Steps
This initiative demonstrates that seemingly poor communities can break free from the cycle of economic stagnation rat race. Explore the full plan and attached Climact Prio submissions to see how Ife South’s sustainable development strategy can be a model for climate resilience and economic growth.
please find document in attachment https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQdCXMbCKg8ISaXoJoOyz4n9pI7Uh-5RCuTwKLJqJ61Hw89GvtEZtFcaV3Bq4bFF7VLsLFmW1qxNHdP/pub . link is also included in attached file