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A NEED ASSESSMENT OF MICRO ENTERPRISES TO FACILITATE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY UPTAKE IN WULA COMMUNITY OF CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA, USING ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS (AHP) ANALYSIS
Abstract
Active engagement with relevant stakeholders at the local community level is essential for the establishment of new and sustainable energy systems and wider public services for community development in the Global South. Community needs assessment is one of the approaches taken to analyse gaps in needs profile for micro enterprises in Wula rainforest Community of Boki, Cross River State, Nigeria.
This study explores the primary needs of micro enterprises in a rain forest community of Wula with the aim of understanding and suggesting sustainable energy options that facilitate local and national interventions. The project further examines opportunities for co-creating sustainable energy solutions for micro enterprises and the community with the view to minimising their carbon footprint (reducing environmental impacts on the rain forest) and promote sustainable economic prosperity in line with SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 13: Climate Action.
A review of literature was conducted to illuminate relative basic community needs of a typical African rain forest community and highlighted Electricity, Social Housing, Access Roads, Educational Facilities, Health/wellbeing, Security and Food/water, as basic needs. An Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was implemented through structured focus groups and one-to-one interviews involving stratified micro enterprises owners and community leaders. The groups systematically prioritised selected needs through a pairwise comparison. Application of multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) allows for both independent but collaborative sharing of viewpoints in an objective approach by all participants.
The result suggest that security is the most prioritised community need as opposed to literature revelation. This confirms the security apprehension arising from rising cases of banditry, herders/farmers clashes, piracy and kidnappings in the region. It is contended that this has caused significant impact on micro enterprises and there is anxiety in local communities. It has potentially reduced investment concerns in sustainable energy alternatives and forced reliance on fossil energy sources. Nonetheless, Education and Electricity were ranked second and third respectively followed by Health/wellbeing, Social Housing, Food and Water, whilst Access road ranked least; implying that there is still significant need for sustainable energy alternatives to support education and security.
Based on initial research aim and MCDA analysis of Wula community and the crucial impact of peace on the survival of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (M/SMEs), there is need to expand the study to accommodate relevant government agencies and stakeholders to interrogate the impact of sustainable energy on community security with the aim of co-creating robust and sustainable solutions. An in-depth review of sustainable energy sources in the community is required to construct replicable alternative of low carbon energy systems that promote and sustain economic prosperity among micro enterprises owners and Wula community dwellers.
Keywords: Community needs assessment, Micro Enterprises, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Global South