Only one in 10 Nigerian households use clean energy for cooking — Minister

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, has revealed that only one in ten households in the country use clean energy sources and technologies for cooking.

He also noted that implementing the National Clean Cooking Policy of Nigeria is expected to create around 10 million direct jobs for young people.

The minister made this statement in a press release in Abuja on Saturday, signed by the Head of the Press and Public Relations Unit, Ibrahim Haruna.

It stated, “Nigeria is facing a silent energy crisis. Only one in ten households in the country use clean energy sources and technologies for cooking.

“Traditional cooking with firewood and other polluting fuels, such as kerosene and charcoal, is claiming lives, causing deforestation, and contributing to climate change, while also placing a burden on women. Clean cooking solutions will save lives, empower women and youths, improve livelihoods, and combat climate change,” Balarabe stressed.

It is worth recalling that on 27 May 2022, the ministry inaugurated a National Clean Cooking Committee as part of the process of building the framework for the expansion of clean cooking energy access in Nigeria. The Committee developed the draft National Clean Cooking Policy, which was validated to achieve access to clean cooking energy solutions for households and institutions by 2030.

The National Clean Cooking Policy of Nigeria was approved by the Federal Executive Council on 25 March 2024.
The goal of the policy is to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, improve health, create jobs, enhance livelihoods, protect the environment, prevent deforestation, and help families, institutions, and businesses save time and money.

The minister said this would enable Nigeria to achieve the Nationally Determined Contribution target, net zero by 2060, the Energy Transition Plan, and a carbon-neutral clean cooking future by the year 2060.

The statement added, “In line with the Energy Transition Plan, 20 per cent of the total clean cooking target shall come from electric cooking, comprising grid and off-grid sources, 54 per cent from Liquefied Petroleum Gas.

“The share of fuel-efficient biomass cookstoves will rise to 13 per cent before its expected decline in a post-2030 clean cooking scenario. Other components of the 2030 target include three per cent for biogas, representing ethanol, biodiesel, and methanol, and five per cent representing briquettes from mostly agricultural waste.

“It is noteworthy that the policy aligns with the clean cooking targets in the updated NDC (2021), the National Climate Change Policy of Nigeria (2021-2030), the Climate Change Act (2021), and the National Gas Policy (2017).

“This policy was unveiled at the 17th session of the National Council on Environment on 24 April 2024. It was subsequently launched during the National Clean Cooking Fair on 18 July 2024 in Abuja, following the inauguration of the national implementation committee. The policy will be implemented by the relevant Federal MDAs and transmitted to the 36 states and the FCT for buy-in and domestication,” Balarabe said.

He stressed that the ministry has visited major local clean cookstove manufacturing companies in Nigeria for collaboration to scale up the production of clean cookstoves and briquettes using local raw materials, as well as to train youths in production skills.

“The implementation of this policy will create about 10 million direct jobs for young people, ranging from the assembly of local raw materials to production and the distribution chain of clean cookstoves, in addition to the carbon credit earnings which will be facilitated by the development of a national carbon market framework that is currently in process.

“In conclusion, the ministry is engaging development partners such as the World Bank for support and partnership in achieving the set targets, which align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President,” he stated.