…As Traditional open fire cooking causes 77,000 death annually in Nigeria
The Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Kunle Salako has disclosed that traditional open fire cooking causes over 77,000 deaths in Nigeria annually through lung and heart diseases.
Other causes mentioned include vision impairment, low birth weight, exposure to burnt injuries while the gathering of firewood exposes women and girls to gender based violence, snake bites and other physical injuries.
The Minister spoke at the National Clean Cooking Fair in Abuja on Thursday. He also disclosed that cooking with firewood in open fire remains a major driver of deforestation in Nigeria and contributes to the loss of nearly 400,000 hectares of forests annually, while emissions from residential cooking represent about 55 million metric tonnes of CO2 and about 700,000 metric tonnes of harmful fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions.
This he said constitutes a significant proportion of Nigeria’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
“Clean cooking is therefore not merely a matter of convenience; it is a matter of public health concern, a fundamental human right which is an essential component of sustainable development. By transitioning to cleaner and more efficient cooking technologies, we can improve air quality, protect public health, and mitigate the impacts of climate change in our communities,” the explained.
In view of this, the Minister disclosed that Nigeria has pledged to provide access to cooking gas for 28.8 million households and improved biomass cook-stoves for 7.3million which represents 48 per cent and 13 per cent respectively by 2030.
He assured that intervention when delivered is expected to save over 30,000 lives per annum, build a domestic clean cooking industry and create new jobs, reduce deforestation, assist the government in meeting its climate change commitments like the pledge to reduce Short Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCP) and improve the lives of women and girls in general.
While advocating for a strong regulatory framework to achieving clean cooking targets, Salako hinted that the Federal Ministry of Environment developed a National Clean Cooking Policy which was recently approved by the Federal Executive Council in order to provide a clear direction and specified pathway for Nigeria to achieve clean cooking outcomes.
“Distinguished Guests, kindly recall that upon approval by the Federal Executive Council, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR directed the immediate implementation and domestication at the sub-national level. This prompted the Ministry through the Department of Climate Change to constitute a National Implementation Committee to drive the process, and seek for support to develop a comprehensive Implementation Plan and Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the Policy. Let at this juncture thank Mr. President for his consistent passion for environmental sustainability and climate actions.
“The National Clean Cooking Policy when fully implemented will improve public health by reducing health risks associated with traditional cooking practices, enable environmental sustainability through the use of clean cooking technologies and solutions by reducing deforestation, GHG emissions, and enhance energy access and affordability whilst encouraging gender equality and empowerment for economic development. In addition, the policy is expected to drive investments into the sector thus supporting the job creation agenda of the Federal government of Nigeria,” Salako stated.
Broadcast by YAYI Teachers Media
