By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Federal Government of Nigeria has decried the lack of access to clean cooking in the country.
Honourable Minister of State for Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor, made the observation at the just concluded Nigerian Clean Cooking Forum organised by the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cooking in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment and other partners, and with support from Heinrich Boell Stiftung (HBS) and Nigeria Energy Support Programme (NESP).
The Minister pledged that the Federal Government is determined to develop a policy framework for clean cooking in the country.
According to the minister, “there is already an inter-ministerial committee saddled with the responsibility of developing this policy. Furthermore, a sub-committee of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Climate Change will coordinate national efforts to address the challenges posed by the lack of access to clean cooking”.
She declared that the Ministry is committed to integrating the outcomes of the forum in its NDCs implementation efforts and plans.
In a goodwill message, Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, represented by Mrs. Funke Oladipo, aligned her Ministry to the objective of achieving clean cooking in Nigeria and outlined the Ministry’s effort in promoting clean cooking through distribution of one thousand (1,000) cooking gas equipments in each of the 774 LGAs across Nigeria and public awareness campaigns.
In his Keynote Address, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the Obarisi of Urhobo Land, commended the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cookstoves and expressed the unalloyed commitment of the Legislature in ensuring clean cooking for all Nigerian.
According to him, “there is no doubt that the clean cooking initiative is about some new details regarding the hazards associated with our rather rusty traditional firewood system of cooking”.
He urged the stakeholders to articulate ways to address grey areas in existing laws and if there is need for a new law, such should be forwarded to the National Assembly.
He also urged stakeholders to articulate ways of ensuring that this vision is achieved and stated that the Senate is always available to support the initiatives where required. .
In his welcome address, the Chairman Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cookstoves and Executive Director, International Centre for Energy, Environment and Development (ICEED), Ewah Otu Eleri, detailed the negative health, economic and environmental impacts of inadequate access to clean cooking solutions in Nigeria.
According to him “Nigeria needs a policy, financing framework and to build partnerships with the international community for clean cooking”.
He also mentioned that government needs to step in to ensure the use of locally sourced cooking gas and ensure removal of VAT on imported LPG to reduce the present hike in the price of LPG.
In his goodwill message the Country Director of Heinrich Boell Stiftung (HBS), Jochen Luckscheiter, said “clean cooking does not create the necessary headlines but it is a proverbial low hanging fruit that can save lives, the forests and climate all at the same time as well as enable Nigeria achieve its NDCs”.
In his goodwill message, the Head of Nigeria Energy Support Programme (NESP), Mr. Duke Benjamin said the Programme is committed to expanding access to clean cooking in Nigeria as witnessed in its NESP 1.
He said the second phase of the NESP is focused on expanding access to LPG for institutional cooking and these are all part of its Nigeria Institutional Clean Cookstoves Acceleration Scheme.
He acknowledged the gap in policy and pledged the commitment of NESP to support the Nigerian Government to develop enabling policy for clean cooking.
The gathering brought together key policymakers, private sector actors, research institutions, women groups, academia, civil society stakeholders as well as international development partners to discuss the implementation plans towards achieving the clean cooking targets of the Paris Agreement.
