Barriers to Clean Cooking Technology Adoption in Nigeria

Clean cooking technologies have shown great promise in curbing greenhouse emissions and as a pathway to enable Nigeria achieve its Energy Transition Plan. (ETP) However, their adoption in sub-Saharan countries like Nigeria remains low. The “Tracking SDG7 Energy Progress 2023” report predicts that 1.9 billion people will lack clean cooking by 2030, with most in Sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, we must identify and overcome barriers to adopting these technologies.

Nigeria is generously blessed with vast renewable resources, yet, most citizens still use unclean fuels for cooking, especially those in rural areas. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) survey, 68.3% of all Nigerian households still use solid biomass (firewood and charcoal) for cooking. Besides being highly inefficient, these traditional, open-fire cooking methods produce toxic particulates that cause household air pollution and contribute to an estimated 3.2 million deaths yearly.

The main objective of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) is to provide access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. However, this can hardly be achieved unless we understand the limitations and challenges of adopting improved cooking to eliminate them.

In Nigeria, the following are some barriers responsible for the low adoption rate of clean cooking technologies:

Affordability: This is reportedly one of Nigeria’s most significant barriers to adopting and using clean cooking. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 40.1% of Nigerians are classified as poor. As such, many households in Nigeria, especially those in rural areas, are low-income communities. Hence, they are more likely to adopt affordable traditional cooking fuels like charcoal and wood, despite the security and health risks these methods pose. Even if people understand the benefits of adopting clean cooking, affordability is a barrier. Hence, targeted subsidies and innovative financing models can help bridge the affordability gap. 

Awareness Creation: despite noteworthy actions in this area, there is a considerable need to intensify awareness, especially in rural areas. These people barely have access to conventional information channels like tv and social media, which could result in low awareness in these areas. Thus, there is a need for the government to invest in a lot of in-person and radio awareness, which is more effective in these areas, based on their current realities.

Cultural Bottlenecks: This encompasses how people’s existing beliefs affect their willingness to adopt clean cooking technologies. Some people believe that cooking with firewood improves the taste and aroma of the food. In some cases, certain cultures believe that cooking is traditionally a way to keep their ancestry alive. These beliefs are ingrained in their system, and convincing them to adopt better methods is difficult. These people need to be educated on the risks and opportunities of clean cooking to convince them to adopt these methods.

Supply Constraints: Supply constraints can hinder the adoption of clean cooking technologies by limiting their existence in certain Nigerian markets, leading to fewer options for consumers and a challenge to access these technologies. In a report by the International Center for Energy, Environment and Development (ICEED) on Expanding Demand for Clean-Cooking in Nigeria, several participants in the focus-group discussions had never even seen an improved cook stove in their local markets. Thus, the government needs to address these issues that cause supply constraints.

Our environment and people, especially women and children, have suffered and continue to suffer the consequences of unclean cooking. Eradicating these barriers is vital to improving people’s lives, communities and achieving the ETP. Therefore, the government must intervene, and collaborate with relevant stakeholders and community leaders, to increase investments and actions towards dissolving these barriers.