Nigerian govt announces plan to end use of firewood

The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs (FMoWA) has partnered with key stakeholders in the energy sector to end premature deaths caused by firewood and toxins from traditional cooking stoves.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said this during a multi-stakeholder engagement in Abuja on Wednesday, expressing optimism that the initiative would end energy poverty for Nigerian women.

Mrs Sulaiman-Ibrahim added that through the use of solar-powered equipment for agricultural development, the initiative would promote clean home solutions.

“Over 80,000 women die prematurely from the toxic smoke of firewood and traditional cooking stoves; hence the efforts aim to reach Nigerian women across all 774 local government areas.

“Energy poverty is not just a technical challenge, it is a social injustice.

“It locks women in cycles of unpaid labour, economic dependence, and health risks. In many communities, women spend up to eight hours a week gathering firewood.

“Through this initiative, we will provide access to energy through solar home systems, clean cooking technologies, solar water pumps, e-mobility tools, and other productive-use appliances in every corner of this nation,” she said.

The Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Abubakar-Aliyu, said under the $550 million Nigerian Electrification Project, about eight million Nigerians and 35,000 businesses were impacted, out of which 12,000 were women-led businesses.

He added that President Bola Tinubu approved a $750 million off-grid project, out of which $410 million had been earmarked for mini-grids and $240 million for solar home systems.

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“So, there is a huge opportunity for us to replicate and to make sure that we scale this intervention across the country,” he said.

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The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Khalil Halilu, described energy poverty as one of the greatest barriers to the advancement of women, especially in rural communities.

Mr Halilu was represented by Olayode Olasupo, director of Manufacturing Services, NASENI.

According to him, poverty ranges from a lack of access to clean energy for cooking to access to energy for lighting and other essential social systems.

“This thereby limits access to critical services, restricts economic opportunities and compromises health and safety,” he said.

(NAN)