Stakeholders have intensified efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change through sensitization and demonstrations of clean cooking technologies at a market fair in Abuja.
The Sensitization and Demonstration of Clean Cooking Technologies was organized by the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cooking in collaboration with other partners on Saturday.
The Country Director of Nigeria Solar Sister, Ms. Chioma Ome, said eliminating unhealthy cooking practices was crucial to protecting public health and reducing the impact of climate change.
According to her, the adoption of efficient cooking stoves significantly reduces environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
“The use of efficient cooking stoves reduces the impact on climate change. These technologies help to address climate-related challenges. The stoves use about 70 per cent less charcoal, making them an effective adaptation mechanism,” she said.
Ome expressed concern that unhealthy cooking practices remain widespread in both urban and rural communities, with many households still relying on open fires and three-stone cooking methods.
She stressed the need for Nigerians to adopt clean and efficient cooking technologies, noting that market fairs such as the event provide an opportunity to educate the public on the dangers of traditional cooking methods.
“It is important to sensitize people on the health risks of open-fire and traditional cooking, while exposing them to safer alternatives. Many people are not aware that their mode of cooking is harmful to their health,” she said.
Ome added that although clean cooking stoves require an initial investment, they are more cost-effective in the long run when compared with the health and environmental costs associated with traditional cooking methods.
“These clean cooking technologies are safe, affordable, and reduce household spending over time,” she added.
Also speaking, Ms. Onyeka Ugwulebor, a representative of Roshan Renewables, described clean cooking technologies as innovative solutions that many Nigerians are willing to adopt.
“We have affordable stoves on display, and many people are eager to take advantage of this opportunity. Our stoves range from N7,000 to N25,000, making them easy to purchase and use,” she said.
Ugwulebor explained that the stoves are smokeless, environmentally friendly, and consume fewer charcoal briquettes, adding that they pose minimal health risks to users.
Charcoal briquettes are compressed blocks of biomass—such as wood waste, palm kernel shells, or sawdust—mixed with binders like starch and molded into uniform shapes. They provide a long-burning, often smokeless fuel for cooking and heating, offering an efficient alternative to firewood and traditional charcoal.
