SEO Riders:
- – Only 1 in 10 Nigerian homes uses clean cooking—experts warn of lung cancer surge
- – Ngeria’s clean cooking gap costs $2.4 trillion annually in health and economic losses
– National Clean Cooking Policy targets 50 million households by 2030, creating 10 million jobs
Nigeria’s overreliance on traditional fuels like firewood, charcoal, and kerosene is fueling a deep-seated energy and health crisis. Health experts caution that exposure to smoky cooking methods can significantly increase respiratory illnesses and lung cancer rates, while claiming that only one in ten households currently uses clean energy for cooking.
Beyond the health drama, the economic ramifications are staggering. Clean cooking advocates and energy analysts estimate that Nigeria and similar developing nations lose up to $2.4 trillion each year due to inefficient cooking systems, with approximately four million premature deaths linked to smoke exposure. Expanding access to cleaner fuels like LPG and electricity is a critical but underfunded strategy.
Efforts are intensifying. The Nigerian government officially approved the National Clean Cooking Policy in March 2024, aiming to supply LPG to 50 million households, upgrade biomass stoves, and introduce alternatives like electricity and biogas—all by 2030. This initiative is expected to create 10 million jobs, reduce deforestation, improve public health, and align with Nigeria’s broader climate commitments.
Grassroots projects are also making an impact. Pilot programs in rural areas have successfully used sensor-based monitoring and innovative financing models to increase clean cookstove uptake to 80%, showing buying models tailored to local realities can drive adoption. NGOs such as CRESAN and WISE are leading clean cooking advocacy and capacity-building, particularly among women.
