According to Environment Minister Balarabe Abbas Lawal, the full implementation of Nigeria’s National Clean Cooking Policy will create roughly 10 million direct jobs for young people, ranging from the assembly of locally sourced raw materials to the production and distribution chains of clean cookstoves. In addition, the policy will earn carbon credits, for which the framework for the country’s carbon market is currently being developed.
The Minister disclosed this recently in Abuja that the approved National Clean Cooking Policy in Nigeria by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), is to mitigate greenhouse gas emission, improve health, create jobs, build livelihoods, protect the environment, prevent deforestation, help families, institutions and businesses save time and money.
According to Balarabe, Nigerians will be able to fulfill their commitments to the country by 2060, including achieving the Nationally Determined Contribution target, net zero 2060, Energy Transition Plan, and carbon-neutral clean cooking future.
According to the Energy Transition Plan, electric cooking—which includes both grid and off-grid sources—must account for 20% of the total clean cooking target, with 54% coming from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). In a clean cooking scenario that occurs after 2030, the share of fuel-efficient biomass cookstoves will increase to 13% before it is predicted to decline.
“The 2030 target comprises additional elements such as 3% for biogas, which comprises ethanol, biodiesel, and methanol, and 5% for briquettes made primarily from agricultural waste,” he stated.
Lawal pointed out that the policy is in line with the clean cooking goals in the National Gas Policy (2017), the Climate Change Act (2021), the Nigerian National Climate Change Policy (2021–2030), and the updated NDC (2021).
“On April 24, 2024, at the NAF Event Centre in Abuja, this policy was unveiled at the 17th session of the National Council on Environment,” he stated.
The relevant Federal MDAs would put the Policy into effect and send it to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory for domestication and buy-in. The policy acknowledges that all parties involved, including state and local governments, have a role to play in carrying out its main recommendations, which include raising awareness and developing integrated solutions, financing, and capacity building.
Others include; institutional cooking, planning and institutionalization, collaboration, incentives, technologies and research among others.
He added that the Ministry has toured significant local clean cookstove manufacturers in Nigeria in order to collaborate on scaling up production, citing this as a major economic benefit.
The Minister mentioned that the Ministry is engaging development partners such as World Bank for support and partnership in achieving the set targets which is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.
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