“Clean Cooking”: FG to buy cooking stoves, “wonder bags” for rural women

It seems like “stomach infrastructure” without rice or vegetable oil but the Federal Government has decided to buy cooking stoves and “wonder bags” for women in rural areas. N9.2billion has been earmarked for the purchase which was approved on Wednesday by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

According to the government, the project is part of the National Clean Cooking Scheme. What is “Clean Cooking” all about?

Briefing newsmen after the FEC meeting, Supervising Minister of Information, Dr. Nurudeen Muhammed, 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.”

Minister of Environment, Mrs. Lawrecia Mallam, said that those who would benefit from the stoves include the about two million female farmers that are currently procuring fertilisers through e-wallet and another two million women already registered by a non-governmental organisation.

It was however learnt that the money was approved for the procurement of 750,000 units of clean cooking stoves and 18,000 wonder bags. They are expected to be delivered by Messrs Integra Renewable Energy Services Limited within 12 weeks.

“Wonder bag”, a non-electric slow cooker, was invented by a South African eco-entrepreneur, Sarah Collins. A power cut in  her country six years ago inspired her to come up with the idea of surrounding the pan with cushions.