By Grace Yussuf (A veteran Journalist)
Abuja: (FLOWERBUDNEWS): Nigeria is facing household energy crisis with only 10 percent households in the country cooking with clean energy sources and technologies such as electricity, LPG, or improved biomass stoves, according to stakeholders in the energy sector.
Approximately 127 million people and more than 24 million families cook inefficiently with open fires in Nigeria.Over the past four years, the Heinrich Böell Stiftung (HBS) Nigeria has being collaborating with the International Centre for Energy, Environment and Development (ICEED) to spearhead policy advocacy, public discussions and multi-stakeholders’ capacity building initiatives aimed at expanding access to clean cooking in Nigeria.
ICEED, in partnership with Heinrich Böell Stiftung (HBS) Nigeria, hosted a One-Day Stakeholders’ Dialogue and Presentation of Findings on Clean Cooking in Abuja, which brought together policymakers, private sector players, researchers, and civil society to address challenges and explore solutions to Nigeria’s clean cooking crisis.
In her remark, Precious Onuvae, Research and Partnership Manager at ICEED and Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cooking, emphasized the critical importance of clean cooking for Nigeria’s energy,health, and environmental goals.
“Clean cooking is a priority area in energy access, central to achieving Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs) 2030, and the Sustainable Energy for All initiative.
“Over the past four years, our collaboration with HBS has driven policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and capacity-building efforts that have yielded significant achievements.
”Yet, we still face challenges in scaling adoption, which is why we are here today to present our findings and chart the way forward,” she said.
This collaboration has yielded substantial achievements in influencing national policy discourse and institutional frameworks.
Notable accomplishments include the incorporation of clean cooking expansion into Nigeria’s revised National Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement in 2021; the approval and launch of a National Clean Cooking Policy; the establishment of a National Clean Cooking Committee and of the Clean Cooking Unit at the Federal Ministry of Environment among others.
According to her, traditional open fire cooking is a silent killer-causing over 78,000 deaths in Nigeria annually. It places a financial burden on some of Nigeria’s poorest families, denying them money that could be spent on education, health and other important household needs.
Delivering a goodwill message, Dr. Iniobong Abiola-Awe, the Director of Climate Change at the Federal Ministry of Environment, highlighted the government’s commitment to achieving universal access to clean cooking by 2030.
Abiola-Awe praised the recent approval of the National Clean Cooking Policy in March 2024 as a bold step toward addressing environmental and public health challenges.
“The Ministry remains committed to fostering partnerships, mobilizing investments, and promoting innovative technologies for clean cooking,””We call on stakeholders to take actionable steps that align with the National Clean Cooking Policy’s implementation plan currently being developed.”
During the event, ICEED presented the outcomes of its recent study on challenges and institutional barriers impeding clean cooking adoption in Nigeria.
According to Unico Kalu, lead consultant for the study, over 90%of Nigerians lack access to clean cooking fuels, leading to dire health,environmental, and economic consequences.
The study also spotlighted successful Nigerian clean cooking businesses that are driving innovation. These enterprises have empowered over 200,000 women, created 50,000 jobs, and sequestered 900 metric tonnes of CO2.However, affordability, logistical challenges, and cultural acceptance remain barriers.
The dialogue included open discussions on evidence-based policy development, financing models, and replicable strategies to scaleclean cooking adoption.Nigeria has, however, made remarkable achievements to provide the enabling environment for the growth of the clean cooking sector,the country is yet to experience a significant increase in the deployment and adoption of clean and efficient cooking stoves/fuels.
To this end, ICEED recently undertook a study to understand the challengeclean cooking solutions in Nigeria knowing that the development of an implementation plan for the clean cooking policy is underway.
Dr.Deborah Ayodele-Olajire, Lecturer and Consultant at the University of Ibadan, presented policy recommendations, stressing the need for people to pioneer clean cooking, and adapt the importance of localized solutions and government incentives such as tax waivers for clean cooking equipment and fuels.Stakeholders unanimously agreed that achieving universal access to clean cooking by 2030 required collaborative efforts among government,private sector, and civil society.
Proposed measures included expanding energy financing programs,strengthening the supply chain for clean cooking technologies, and enhancing public awareness campaigns.
The event concluded with a call to action for all stakeholders to remain committed to achieving the goals outlined in Nigeria’s National Clean Cooking Policy. (FLOWERBUDNEWS)
(Grace Yussuf, a veteran journalist, is a retired Deputy Editor -In – Chief of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
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Established by Hon. Biola Lawal, a former Acting Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), FLOWERBUDNEWS is a consortium of active veteran journalists, experienced Multimedia broadcast experts and image makers. We are drawn from both public and private sectors of Nigeria’s media Industry with a common determination to enhance the practice of responsible journalism.
Lawal, on his part, is also a former Honourable Commissioner for Information,Youth, Sports and Culture of Osun state, his home state.
Biola Lawal had also successfully served two tenures as Press Secretary to the ECOMOG Force Commander in Liberia during the Liberian and Sierra Leone Civil wars. He was an outstanding NAN Defence and War Correspondent for many years.
The retired Acting NAN Boss holds the honour of being the only journalist that served two terms on the ECOMOG international assignment due to his high professionalism and decency.
He is a Co-Author of the book; ECOMOG, A BOLD ATTEMPT AT REGIONAL PEACEKEEPING! Edited Mrs Magaret Voght. The book remains the most. factual, detailed and authentic book on the ECOWAS sponsored ECOMOG Military operation.
