Power Punch Clean Cooking and the Energy Transition Plan by davidomata December 13, 2023 written by davidomata The Nigerian Energy Transition Plan (ETP) encompasses five key sectors: power, transport, oil and gas, cooking, and industry. While power often dominates discussions around the ETP, it is essential to note the significance of the cooking sector, which accounts for approximately 22% of Nigeria’s total greenhouse gas emissions, emitting around 40 million metric tons of CO2 in 2020. Sadly, an alarming 87% of the Nigerian population, totalling 175 million individuals, lack access to clean cooking facilities, resulting in severe environmental and health consequences, particularly for women and children. Health Impacts and Environmental Consequences The United Nations reported that in 2021, Nigeria had the highest number of child deaths globally due to pollution-related pneumonia, reaching nearly 70 thousand cases. According to UNICEF, 40% of these deaths are due to air pollution caused by the combustion of solid cooking fuels within households. Decarbonization Strategy Recognizing the urgency of addressing this issue, the Nigerian Energy Transition Plan has outlined a comprehensive strategy to decarbonize the cooking sector by 2050. The targets include transitioning urban dwellings to 95% electric stoves and 5% efficient wood stoves by 2050, rural dwellings to 57% electric stoves, 22% efficient wood stoves, 20% biogas, and 1% LPG by 2050, and commercial dwellings to 85% electric stoves, 10% efficient wood stoves, and 5% biogas by 2050. Key Components of the Decarbonization Strategy The pivotal elements of the strategy involve a shift from traditional firewood, charcoal, and kerosene to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) until 2030, followed by the adoption of efficient wood stoves, electrification, and biogas, particularly in rural areas. Given its relevance across household categories and Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources, LPG is highlighted as a crucial transitional fuel. Post-2030 Focus on Carbon-Neutral Technologies Post-2030, the emphasis shifts to carbon-neutral technologies such as electric cookstoves for grid-connected households and biogas for rural areas relying on off-grid electricity sources. The transition is expected to significantly reduce energy needs as more efficient technologies replace inefficient firewood stoves. Challenges and Accountability Despite the plan’s feasibility, some challenges need to be addressed. One instance is the misappropriation of funds in a past initiative. In 2014, the Federal Executive Council approved 9.2 billion Naira to procure 750,000 stoves and 18,000 Wonder Bags to distribute to rural women. Regrettably, only 45,000 clean cookstoves were provided, and a mere 15% of the approved funds were released to the contractor, raising concerns about financial mismanagement. RecommendationTo ensure the success of clean cooking projects under the energy transition plan, stringent monitoring of associated funds is imperative. Learning from past experiences, the Nigerian government must institute transparent mechanisms and strict accountability measures to safeguard funds allocated to these critical initiatives. Only through responsible governance and rigorous oversight can the laudable strategies outlined in the Energy Transition Plan manifest into tangible and impactful solutions for the Nigerian population, addressing both environmental concerns and public health challenges. December 13, 2023 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Power Punch Barriers to Clean Cooking Technology Adoption in Nigeria by doose June 13, 2023 written by doose 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. June 13, 2023 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Power PunchUncategorized Clean Cooking Technologies by doose May 30, 2023 written by doose The race to fulfil Nigeria’s ambitious plans to achieve Net-Zero by 2060 has created a responsibility for government to check and ensure that anthropogenic activities are reduced to the least possible amount. A pathway to achieving this is through the adoption of clean cooking technologies by households in Nigeria.Clean cooking refers to using purer fuels and energy-efficient modern stoves for domestic use. As of 2020, the share of the population with access to clean cooking technologies was 30.2 per cent, representing less than a quarter of the Nigerian population. Ensuring access to modern cooking solutions is vital to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) and Nigeria’s Vision 3030 goals. Hence, there is a considerable need to accelerate clean cooking in Nigeria.Below are some examples of clean cooking technologies as approved by the world health organization:Liquefied Petroleum gas (LPG): LPG is a clean-burning fuel that produces fewer pollutants than traditional biomass fuels. LPG stoves provide a convenient and cleaner alternative for cooking e.g. Methane and butane.Biogas Systems: Biogas is a renewable energy solution produced by the breakdown of organic matter, such as food or animal waste, by anaerobic bacteria in an oxygen-free environment. Biogas systems capture the Methane produced during this process and use it as a cooking fuel.Improved cooking stoves: These are designed to burn fuel more efficiently, reducing fuel consumption and minimizing smoke emissions. They often have features like insulation, better combustion chambers, and chimneys to direct smoke outside the cooking area.Electric rice cookers: Electric stoves or induction cooktops are powered by electricity and offer a clean and efficient cooking option. However, their widespread adoption in Nigeria may be limited due to electricity access and affordability challenges.Ethanol stoves: Ethanol is produced from sugar plants or other biomass sources. An advantage of the technology is that ethanol provides a higher heat flux with no soot or smoke, and cooking can occur faster and pollution-freeIn developing countries like Nigeria, polluting fuels like wood and charcoal is mainly used for cooking, and the gases emitted from this activity contribute to increasing carbon emissions, which contribute to air pollution—resulting in a range of respiratory diseases like asthma and lung cancer. Statistics show that household air pollution causes more than 4 million deaths every year, mostly affecting women and children who bear the brunt of household activities.Another effect of using unclean fuels like wood and charcoal to cook is that it promotes deforestation, by cutting down of trees to make firewood, thereby, hindering progress towards climate action. Additionally, traditional cooking burdens women and children because they are primarily tasked with sourcing firewood used for traditional cooking. Also, the process can be time-consuming, limiting opportunities to pursue their personal or educational goals.Traditional cooking methods have proved inefficient and harmful to our health, economy and planet. Thus, the adoption of clean cooking technologies is crucial. It is commendable what organizations like the Clean Cooking Alliance and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) are doing to accelerate clean cooking in Nigeria by providing grants and championing domestic policies towards clean cooking adoption. However, there is much work to be done.With the emergence of a new government in Nigeria, clean cooking can be adapted in several ways. This could be through providing clean cooking technologies at a subsidized and affordable rate, especially for people in local communities, providing support through incentivizing companies to produce clean cooking technologies and finally, creating awareness at all levels to educate the masses on clean cooking technologies and its benefits. May 30, 2023 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
LADIES Nigeria’s Clean Cooking Future by aisi June 8, 2022 written by aisi Gender inclusion is crucial for attaining an equitable energy transition. Therefore, there should be intentional efforts to include women in the global transition to clean energy, especially in Africa, where women are already underrepresented. This podcast episode – Nigeria’s Clean Cooking Future – explores an issue which disproportionately affects Nigerian women; access to clean cooking. According to the World Bank, firewood and other polluting fuels for cooking account for approximately two per cent of global emissions. These fuels also pose significant health risks as they cause respiratory illnesses and deaths among women and children. Safiya Aliyu, General Manager, SOSAI Renewable Energies Company, joins me to discuss the current challenges of clean cooking in Nigeria and possible solutions. She also talks about SOSAI’s plans to scale up clean cooking in the country. June 8, 2022 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
