FG to spend N9.2bn on stoves

Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the purchase of cooking stoves worth N9.2 billion to be allocated to women in rural areas.

The stoves will be shared to rural women along with “wonder bags” as part of the National Clean Cooking Scheme.

A “wonder bag” is a slow non-electric cooker invented by South African eco-entrepreneur, Sarah Collins.

The allocation was announced by the Supervising Minister of Information, Dr. Nurudeen Muhammed on Wednesday, November 26 during the weekly FEC meeting which was presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo.

The minister said:

“The National Clean Cooking Scheme is an aggressive drive to engender clean cooking culture amongst the poor rural women, to reduce and possibly eliminate cooking with solid fossil which is detrimental to health.”

“The scheme is expected to provide 20 million clean stoves over a five-year period at the rate of four million stoves per annum, which will be distributed free of charge.”

“It will also reduce incessant felling of trees, which exposes the country to ecological problems.

“Furthermore, additional benefit to Nigeria in switching over to this technology by the rural households is the carbon credits arising from the registration by the UNFCCC. The country stands to gain 50 per cent subsidy of the price through the generated carbon credits,” Muhammed added.

The minister also said that the stoves would be delivered by Messrs Integra Renewable Energy Services Limited and would arrive in the country within a period of 12 weeks.