… Says more than 90,000 Nigerian women, children die annually from firewood smoke
By Rosemary Ogbonnaya
Federal Government has organised 2021 Nigeria Clean cooking Forum, to discuss the implementation plans towards achieving the clean cooking targets in the Nationally Determined Contributions,NDC, to take stock of current status of clean cooking activities in the country, review existing policies and practices that relate to clean cooking in Nigeria.
Speaking at the Forum with the
theme: “Clean Cooking Energy for All in Nigeria – Achieving the Nationally Determined Contributions,NDC” targets on Clean Cooking held in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of Environment, Barrister Sharon Ikeazor warned against health implications of cooking with traditional biomass.
According to her, if current policies are allowed to continue, by 2030 about 60 percent or more of all households in Nigeria will still be cooking with traditional biomass. Over 70 percent of Nigeria’s population relies solely on fuel wood in meeting their energy needs for cooking and heating.
She said over dependency on
biomass for cooking and or heating purposes increases pressure on local natural resources and equally
poses threat to the health and safety of end-users, mainly women often accompanied by
their children.
The Minister also said, more than 90,000 Nigerian women and children die annually from firewood
smoke.
Explaining further, Ikeazor said, “Deforestation equivalent of 5.4Mt of CO2 (GFW) resulting from unsustainable wood
harvesting, thereby reducing carbon uptake by forest.
“Nigeria’s residential sector contributes over 50% of national total emissions of Green House Gases. The use of cleaner, more modern cookstoves and fuels can
dramatically reduce exposure to harmful smoke thereby improving the health of rural women, creating wealth, provide myriad economic opportunities for Nigerians and has
important Environmental and climate benefits.”
While saying that the Federal Ministry of Environment had supported the implementation of programmes on clean cooking to help the nation reduce its GHG
emissions and also boost green growth, Ikeazor gave the Federal government’s assurance to meet its NDC obligations by ensuring that Nigerian households convert from the use of inefficient cooking fuels such as fuel wood, charcoal and
kerosene to LPG and other efficient cooking fuels.
” That is why we have put together this forum, bringing together policy makers, civil society organization, NGOs, Academia, women
groups, international partners for all to be well equipped with the right knowledge and tools
to be able to develop strategies and plans that squarely address the issues of Clean Cooking.
“We acknowledge and appreciate the support and contribution of the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, the International Centre for Energy, Environment and
Development in promoting clean and more efficient cooking echnologies,” said the Minister.
She therefore, called for joint and cooperative efforts to tackle the problem nationally as well as globally.
Expressing her optimism that Nigeria would take advantage of the forum to collaboratively
deliberate, and understand the linkages and implementation plans towards achieving the clean cooking targets in the NDC, the Minister assured that the Ministry is committed to integrating the elements of the meeting into its NDC.
